Department for Transport

Public Transport: Air Conditioning

lord bradshaw: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they had made of proposals by Spanish bus and coach builder Irizar to modify air-conditioning systems to reducepassengers'inhalation of air-born droplets or micro-particles by ionising the air entering each system, and to use increased levels of oxygen in such systems to combat viruses via oxidisation; and in particular, whether suchmethods could be used on trains or trams to tacklepollen, fungal spores, bacteria and other microbes, as well as COVID-19 and other viruses.

baroness vere of norbiton: We have not made any assessment of the proposals made by Spanish bus and coach builder Irizar to modify air-conditioning systems. However, we are aware that the industry is looking at various options around modifying air conditioning to give greater protection.

Travel: Coronavirus

baroness neville-rolfe: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to adjust the proposed quarantine regime for arrivals into the UK to reflect the difference in risk posed by persons in different countries according to the respective infection rates in those countries.

baroness vere of norbiton: The Government is carefully considering the concept of ‘international travel corridors’ (also known as air bridges), which have the potential to remove the need for quarantine measures for incoming passengers from low risk countries. It is currently not agreed Government policy. Ultimately, we will be guided by the science, and the health of the public will always come first.

Travel: Coronavirus

baroness neville-rolfe: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to adjust the proposed quarantine regime for arrivals into the UK so that people with proof that they have had the disease can be subject to fewer restrictions.

baroness neville-rolfe: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to adjust the proposed quarantine regime for arrivals into the UK to introduce COVID-19 tests at certain airports and ports, for a fee, so that quarantine is not applied to those who have already had the disease.

baroness vere of norbiton: The Government and SAGE do not currently advise virus testing for asymptomatic people, either domestically or at the border, apart from in certain settings, such as hospitals, care homes, and prisons. The border health measures will be subject to review, currently every three weeks, to ensure they are in line with the latest scientific evidence and remain effective and necessary.

Road Traffic Offences: Enforcement

lord bradshaw: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Vere of Norbiton on 27 May (HL4331), what assessment they have made of the case for decriminalising some moving traffic offences outside of London to reduce the burden on police forces.

baroness vere of norbiton: The Government recognises that the impact on the resources and other priorities of local police forces is one of several considerations to be borne in mind in looking at whether to decriminalise enforcement of moving traffic offences. This is a longstanding and complex issue which we are looking at carefully. No decisions have yet been taken.

Great Western Railway and London North Eastern Railway: Rolling Stock

lord bradshaw: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to commission an independent survey of the views of (1) Great Western Railway, and (2) East Coast Main Line, passengers on (a) comfort of seating, (b) adequacy of luggage space, (c) ride quality, (d) ease of boarding and disembarkation, (e) noise and vibration levels, and (f) clarity of view from windows.

baroness vere of norbiton: The National Rail Passenger Survey carried out by Transport Focus already covers most of these questions and gives scores at individual train operator as well as national levels, including for both Great Western Railway and London North Eastern Railway. Transport Focus is independent of the Government and the train operators.

Delivery Services: Coronavirus

lord butler of brockwell: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Vere of Norbiton on 28 May (HL4351), what estimate they have made of the effect of any increase in the number of deliveries during the COVID-19 lockdown on traffic statistics.

baroness vere of norbiton: The Department has been producing and monitoring daily road traffic figures during the COVID-19 lockdown period. These daily road traffic figures are published on the Gov.uk website. These figures have seen differing trends for commercial and private traffic. However, it is not possible to infer the purpose of journeys, such as increased deliveries, from the daily road traffic series.

Driving: Licensing

baroness jolly: To ask Her Majesty's Government, following the reduction of Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency services due to COVID-19, what steps they are taking to support people over the age of 70 to renew their driving licences by post.

baroness vere of norbiton: The quickest and easiest way to renew a driving licence at the age 70 and over is to use the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA)’s online service. If drivers are unable to use the online service they should submit a paper application in the normal way. However, paper applications will take longer to process in the current circumstances. Some drivers may be able to continue to drive while their application is being processed, provided they have a valid licence and they have not been told by a doctor or optician not to drive. The department is considering what can be done to help drivers who are unable to use the DVLA’s online service, and will provide more information when available.

Driving: Licensing

baroness jolly: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of COVID-19 on people’s ability to see a doctor to confirm their fitness to drive, and thereby to fulfil the criteria of section 88 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 so they can continue driving.

baroness vere of norbiton: It is a driver’s responsibility to ensure that they meet the criteria for driving under the provisions of Section 88 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 while their application is being considered. While there is no specific requirement to visit a doctor for these purposes, if a driver has been told not to drive by a doctor or optician, they should not do so.

Driving: Licensing

baroness jolly: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people over the age of 70 have applied to renew their driving licence (1) online, and (2) by post, in each of the last five years for which figures are available, broken down by age of applicant.

baroness vere of norbiton: The table below shows the number of applications received from those renewing their driving licence at the age of 70 and over either online or by post in the last five financial years. It has not been possible in the time available to break this down by age of applicant.  Online applications age 70 and overPostal applications  age 70 and over2015-2016720,1521,068,0602016-2017843,9471,079,0172017-2018897,577990,2432018-2019907,0051,117,5442019-20201,128,3441,012,176

Unmanned Air Vehicles

lord craig of radley: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether permission for the commercial operation of unmanned aerial vehicles may be granted by an organisation other than the Civil Aviation Authority in any region of the United Kingdom; and if so, bywhich such organisations.

baroness vere of norbiton: Permissions for commercial operations of small unmanned aircraft in the United Kingdom are granted by the Civil Aviation Authority. This is in line with the legal requirement set out in Article 94(5) of the Air Navigation Order 2016 (ANO 2016).

Railways: Season Tickets

baroness randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to require train operating companies to introduce flexible season tickets suitable for part-time workers.

baroness vere of norbiton: The Government recognises that the COVID-19 pandemic has caused a fundamental change in working patterns and that this could have long-term effects on commuter behaviour. As we move from lockdown to recovery, it is important that we get the balance right in the short and medium term between managing demand and ensuring that we provide better value for money for passengers going forward. The Department is working with industry to explore already available options for flexible commuters and what steps could be taken quickly to make these as useful and convenient for passengers as possible.

Aviation and Shipping: Coronavirus

baroness randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with (1) airlines, (2) airport operators, (3) ports, and (4) ferry companies, about the impact of the new requirement for passengers arriving in the UK to self-isolate for 14 days on (a) their businesses, (b) the number of people they employ, and (c) the number of flights and sailings they will operate; and about the practical implementation of associated measures at ports and airports.

baroness vere of norbiton: The Department for Transport has engaged regularly with cruise, ports and ferry stakeholders on the requirement to provide information to international passengers, sharing guidance and responding to queries. Throughout the Covid-19 outbreak, the Maritime Minister has engaged with the shipping, ports and cruise sector on fortnightly calls on a range of topics including lockdown, PPE and border measures which include the 14-day quarantine. Following the Home Secretary’s announcement, the Department has worked with the Home Office and engaged through the cross-modal and modal-specific Border Specific Implementation Group with associations and operators. An exemption has been secured for seafarers (defined in section 313 of the Merchant Shipping Act) to the quarantine element of the proposed measures. In addition, officials have engaged on border measures, including the proposed quarantine measures, restart and recovery discussions with stakeholders and additionally on daily calls with Short Straits operators. The Department has similarly engaged with the aviation sector on this issue and will continue to do so in the coming weeks. This includes working with senior representatives from the aviation industry as part of the Aviation Restart and Recovery Expert Steering Group. This group serves as the working group for the International Aviation Taskforce – one of five sectoral taskforces announced by the Government on 13 May to support the development of guidelines for safely reopening businesses. The Aviation Minister has also carried out fortnightly calls with the sector on a range of topics, as well as bilateral conversations.

Air Routes: Coronavirus

baroness randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to review their relaxation of the rules applying to the use of slots by airlines; and if so, when.

baroness vere of norbiton: Her Majesty’s Government is legally prevented from intervening in the slot allocation process. However, we welcome the response taken by the European Commission and the UK’s independent slot coordinator to temporarily relax the 80:20 slot usage rules, and will continue to engage across the sector on this matter. We want airport landing and take-off slots to be used as efficiently as possible for the benefit of UK consumers and are carefully considering the role of the slot system in rebuilding a competitive aviation sector.

Aviation: Coronavirus

lord birt: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer fromBaroness Vere of Norbiton on 14 May (HL4070), what progress they have made onworking with the aviation sector to develop an approach for social distancing on flights (1) within, (2) arriving in, or (3) leaving the UK.

baroness vere of norbiton: On 12 May, the Government published transport guidance for operators and passengers on travelling safely. This addresses issues relating to social distancing. On 11 June we published guidance specific to the aviation sector, which provides advice on measures to help mitigate the risk of transmission of Covid-19.

Cycling and Walking: Finance

baroness mcintosh of pickering: To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made on the Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy; and when they plan to publish an updated version.

baroness vere of norbiton: The Government remains committed to delivering the aims and ambitions set out in the Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy and progress to date is set out in the first Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy Report to Parliament published in February 2020.On the 9 May, the Government announced a £2 billion package of funding for cycling and walking over the next five years. Later this summer, the Government will say more about plans to update the Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy, to build on the new opportunities that this funding provides.

Public Transport: Coronavirus

lord bourne of aberystwyth: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to mandate the use of face coverings on public transport for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic.

baroness vere of norbiton: From Monday 15 June passengers must wear a face covering when travelling on public transport in England by bus, coach, tram, ferry, hovercraft, cable car, aircraft and domestic and international train. Government has published updated Safer Transport guidance for passengers and for operators which sets out the requirements. The guidance sets out steps that operators can take to ensure passenger compliance with the face covering regulations, as well as making clear that specific exemptions apply, including for health, equality or age reasons.

Travel: Coronavirus

lord bourne of aberystwyth: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to introduce mandatory COVID-19 testing at airports and other points of entry into the UK during the COVID-19 pandemic.

baroness vere of norbiton: The Government does not currently advise virus testing for asymptomatic people, apart from in certain settings, such as hospitals, care homes, and prisons.

Cycling: Coronavirus

baroness jones of moulsecoomb: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether local authorities are permitted to use their allocations from the emergency active travel fund to pay for (1) adult cycle training, and (2)Bikeability Level 3 training for secondary school children.

baroness vere of norbiton: Local Authority allocations from the emergency active travel fund are intended to be spent principally on infrastructure measures, not on cycle training. Funding for cycle training has been made available through the Bikeability programme. We are currently considering expanding the range of training options that can be funded through Bikeability, including adult and family training.

Cycling and Walking

baroness jones of moulsecoomb: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they will publish further information about the creation of a national cycling and walking commissioner and inspectorate, first announced on 9 May.

baroness vere of norbiton: On 9 May the Government announced a £2 billion package of funding for active travel over the next 5 years. In the summer, the Government will say more about its plans to transform walking and cycling, including plans for a cycling and walking commissioner for England and inspectorate.

Cycling and Walking: Finance

baroness jones of moulsecoomb: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to review staff resources dedicated to active travel within the Department for Transport to manage the additional funding for active travel announced in May.

baroness vere of norbiton: The Government is committed to delivering the aims and ambitions set out in the Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy, which was published in April 2017. The Department for Transport has increased the number of staff working to deliver recent commitments on cycling and walking and will keep this under review.

Transport: Isles of Scilly

lord patten: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to develop the (1) availability, and (2) regularity, of transport links between mainland UK and the Isles of Scilly.

baroness vere of norbiton: On Friday 24 April, the Government announced up to £10.5 million for lifeline ferry and freight services to the Isles of Scilly and the Isle of Wight as part of a multimillion pound support package to safeguard the transport links which provide essential lifeline services to the islands.The Department is engaging with local stakeholders, including the local transport board, to maintain the transport links throughout this current period and beyond which are normally provided commercially by profit-making operators.

Leader of the House of Lords

Parliamentary Questions

lord harris of haringey: The Leader of the House,  further to her Written Answer on 2 June (HL4609), when she last reminded Lord Bethell of his responsibility to adhere to paragraph 6.14 of the Companion to the Standing Orders and Guide to the Proceedings in the House of Lords; and what assessment she has made of whether the Written Answers byLord Bethell on 14 May (HL3016) and on 28 May (HL4613) were consistent with that responsibility.

baroness evans of bowes park: Since I gave my answer to HL4609 all Ministers have been reminded of their obligations to the House in respect of written questions. Individual Ministers are responsible to the House for the answers they provide.

Time Limits on Speeches

viscount astor: The Leader of the House what assessment she has made of the impact of one minute speaking time limits during debates in the House on (1) the reputation of the House, and (2) effective scrutiny of Her Majesty's Government.

baroness evans of bowes park: Before the move to virtual proceedings one minute speaking time limits were very rare. Before Easter of this year there had not been one since 2016. An inevitable consequence of lockdown has been that members have had more time to take part in debates. There has not been a corresponding increase in the amount of parliamentary time available. In fact, because of the public health, administrative and broadcasting constraints the House is working under there has been a reduction in the amount of time available. Members can see how many others are signed up to speak so are able to make an informed decision as to whether they wish to contribute.

Hybrid Proceedings: Ministers

lord storey: To ask the Leader of the House whatadvice hasbeen given to Ministers in receipt of a salary about participating virtually in Chamber proceedings from their London offices.

baroness evans of bowes park: All of the front bench, including those in receipt of a salary, have been advised to work in a way which is safe for them based on PHE guidance. This has not meant any reduction in their government and parliamentary duties.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Boilers: Carbon Emissions

lord foster of bath: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many domestic boilers they anticipate will be sold every year for the next 10 years; and whatthey estimate thecarbon emissions for those boilers will be.

lord callanan: There are close to 2 million heating appliances sold in the UK each year, over 80% of which are domestic gas boilers. Gas boiler sales are likely to remain at a similar level in the immediate future. However, industry projections for heating appliance sales in 2020 are being revised due to the impact of covid-19. Emissions from individual homes depend on the size and energy efficiency of the property. As a result of minimum energy efficiency requirements for new gas boilers, introduced in 2018, the average household that switches from an average gas boiler can save 200kgCo2 per year. The Government is committed to reducing the emissions produced from heating our homes by increasing energy efficiency and utilising clean heating technologies to meet our net zero commitments. The immediate steps to tackle these emissions will be set out as part of the Heat and Buildings Strategy, which we aim to publish later in the year.

Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme

lord fox: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they require accredited banks to take a super-senior position when granting Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme loans.

lord callanan: Except in respect of a residential development facility, a Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CLBILS) facility must at all times during its life, rank on at least a pari passu basis with the most senior obligations (including secured and/or super-senior obligations, if any) of the Borrower. This includes from all collateral taken by any lender from the borrower unless the borrower is a financing vehicle, whereby this will include any collateral from any member of its Group. There are certain carveouts from this requirement including:collateral with an aggregate value not greater than 10% of the value (determined by the lender in accordance with its lending policies) of all relevant collateral; andcollateral relating to asset and invoice finance facilities entered into in the ordinary course of business where the proceeds of such collateral would not be available to facilities other than such asset or invoice finance facility and where the lending policies and procedures would not require it to take security over such collateral.

Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme

lord fox: To ask Her Majesty's Government what levels of security they recommend accredited banks take when granting Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme loans.

lord callanan: We would expect a lender to follow its normal credit policy when assessing additional security generally. Personal guarantees of any form cannot be used in respect of any Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CLBILS) facilities up to £250,000. For facilities of £250,000 and over, claims on personal guarantees applied to the scheme facility cannot exceed 20% of losses on the scheme facility after all other recoveries have been applied.

Business: Loans

baroness redfern: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether companies who take out new Government-backed loans will be banned from paying dividends and cash bonuses; and if so, when.

lord callanan: Under the Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CLBILS) to ensure that loans backed by taxpayers’ money are being used in the right way to support businesses and jobs through this difficult time, loans come with restrictions on dividend payments:For facilities of up to £50m, dividend payments can continue but may not be increased for as long as any facility under CLBILS remains outstanding.For facilities of more than £50 million businesses must agree to restrictions on dividend payments, senior pay and share buy-backs during the period of the loan. These restrictions were introduced on 26 May, when the maximum loan size under CLBILS was extended to £200 million. For facilities of more than £50 million, until the facility has been repaid in full, borrowers and members of their group cannot:Make dividends or other shareholder payments that were not declared before the borrower entered the facility other than in very restricted situations.Pay any cash bonuses to senior management, or award any pay rises to senior management except where such pay rise was (i) agreed in writing before the facility was taken out, or (ii) is in keeping with similar payments made in the preceding 12 months, and (iii) does not have a material negative impact on the borrower’s ability to repay the facility. The restriction does not need to apply to pay awards or cash bonuses to be paid to new members of senior management joining the group after the date of the facility but must apply to any subsequent cash bonuses or pay rises awarded to such persons after they have joined the group. Under the Future Fund, loans advanced under a Convertible Loan Agreement (CLA) cannot be used to pay dividends, pay bonuses or discretionary payments that are non-contracted or not in the ordinary course of business for 12 months, or pay advisory, placement or similar corporate finance type fees in relation to that CLA.

Redundancy: Coronavirus

lord roberts of llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assistance they are giving to companies facing making substantial redundancies due to the COVID-19 pandemic in order to reduce the increase in unemployment.

lord callanan: The Government has made available a wide range of schemes to companies in order to help them avoid making redundancies in response to the covid-19 pandemic. These include the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme; deferral of VAT and self-assessment payments; business rates relief; the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS); the Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CLBILS); the Coronavirus Future Fund; the Coronavirus Bounce Back Loan; the COVID-19 Corporate Financing Facility; the Coronavirus Small Business Grant Fund; the Coronavirus Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund; and the Local Authority Discretionary Grants Fund.The Government has published details of all these schemes on the GOV.UK website.

Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund and Small Business Grants Fund: Sheffield

lord scriven: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have received a forecast from Sheffield City Council of the amount it expects to distribute from the Small Business Grant Fund and the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Business Grant Fund; and if so, how much that forecast was.

lord callanan: Sheffield City Council has identified 9,334 businesses properties as in scope of the Small Business Grants Fund (SBGF) and the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grants Fund (RHLGF). As of 7 June, Sheffield City Council have issued grants to 7,329 businesses in scope of both schemes, totalling £87,270,000. Government is working closely with all local authorities to help them make remaining grant payments to businesses as quickly and effectively as possible, whilst safeguarding public funds.

Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund and Small Business Grants Fund

lord scriven: To ask Her Majesty's Government by which date local authorities will be expected to distribute the combined funding from the Small Business Grant Fund, the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund and the Local Authority Discretionary Grant Fund; and if not all of the funds available have been spent by that date, what will happen to the amount not distributed.

lord callanan: The Government is working closely with all local authorities to help them make payments to businesses in scope of the Small Business Grants Fund (SBGF) and the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grants Fund (RHLGF) as quickly and effectively as possible. As of 7 June £10.22 billion has been paid out to over 832,000 eligible business properties. On 1 May, my Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy announced a further up to £617 million available to Local Authorities in England to support businesses that are out of scope of the existing schemes.Where a local authority has funding remaining after having paid grants to all eligible businesses, they will need to undertake a reconciliation exercise with government. We will be providing further details of this, and timing for the delivery of remaining funding to eligible businesses, in due course.

European Union Intellectual Property Office: Brexit

lord clement-jones: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to restrict European Economic Area 'address for service' at the Intellectual Property Office if no reciprocal rights are offered by the EU Intellectual Property Office at the end of the transition period.

lord callanan: The Government is aware that this is an important issue for stake holders, in particular UK-based patent and trade mark attorneys. Officials at the Intellectual Property Office are having ongoing conversations with representative bodies over how to best address this matter once the transition period ends.

Intellectual Property: UK Relations with EU

lord clement-jones: To ask Her Majesty's Government what cross-departmental discussions have taken place on the UK approach to intellectual property in negotiations on the future UK–EU relationship.

lord callanan: Her Majesty’s Government’s negotiation approach to intellectual property in the future UK-EU relationship has been discussed in many cross-departmental fora, both bilaterally and as part of multi-departmental groups. This includes but is not limited to engagement between: the Intellectual Property Office (the lead executive agency), the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Number 10 Taskforce Europe, Cabinet Office, the Ministry of Justice, the Department for International Trade, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, the Department of Health and Social Care, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and the Office for Life Sciences. Discussions have also taken place at ministerial committees considering the UK-EU future relationship negotiation approach.

Intellectual Property: UK Relations with EU

lord clement-jones: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has any plans to meet with the Chartered Institute of Trade Mark Attorneys to discuss their concerns about the UK's approach to intellectual property in negotiations on the future relationship with the EU.

lord callanan: The Minister for Intellectual Property will be meeting with the Chartered Institute of Trade Mark Attorneys and other IP stakeholders to discuss this and other topics later this month.

Weather

baroness mcintosh of pickering: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the jetstream on recent weather events; and what plans they have to conduct research into the role of the jetstream in extreme weather events.

lord callanan: Extended spells of dry sunny weather during spring are primarily a consequence of the large-scale circulation and buckling of the jet stream allowing for the development of persistent high-pressure systems close to the UK. In spring 2020 the jet stream shifted to the north-west of the UK and successive areas of high pressure dominated the country, leading to sunny, warm and dry conditions. Weather conditions in February 2020 were also due to a change in the jet stream. In this instance, a strengthening of the jet over the UK delivered multiple storms and record rainfall. In both cases, the conditions were predicted in some detail days ahead in Met Office short-range weather forecasts and also anticipated in its long-range outlooks. The role of the jet stream in influencing UK weather is well understood. The next step is to understand what is driving the behaviour of the jet steam when there are extremes. There is strong evidence from research by the Met Office that global connections from the tropics were responsible for the behaviour of the jet stream during February 2020. Work is ongoing to examine what influenced the jet stream during spring 2020. Future research by the Met Office will examine current variability in the jet stream and the effect on UK weather.

Coronavirus: Research

baroness ritchie of downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent steps they have taken to attach conditions to funding they have allocated for the development of vaccines and medical equipment to help tackle COVID-19.

lord callanan: The Government has established the Vaccines Taskforce to coordinate the work going on across government, academia and industry to accelerate the development and manufacture of a COVID-19 vaccine. The development of a vaccine is at the early stages but progressing rapidly. Funding for the development of vaccines has been provided for in line with the guidance set out in HM Treasury’s Green Book. Due to the commercial sensitivity of the contracts, it would not be possible to comment on individual elements.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Pakistan: Coronavirus

baroness anelay of st johns: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 19 May (HL4378), when they intend to raise with the government of Pakistan the release of prisoners of conscience in relation to the threat of COVID-19 to detainees in prisons in Pakistan.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We have not raised the issue of release of prisoners in light of COVID-19. We have discussed the impact of COVID-19 in Pakistan regularly with senior officials of the Government of Pakistan. We continue to raise human rights and to urge the Government of Pakistan to guarantee the fundamental rights of its citizens, regardless of their belief. Most recently, Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon raised our concerns about Human Rights in Pakistan by letter with Dr Mazari on 5 June. We remain concerned about the situation for prisoners in detention under trial in Pakistan, particularly for blasphemy cases.

Mubarak Bala

lord dubs: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Nigeria about the arrest and detention of Mubarak Bala, the President of the Humanist Association of Nigeria.

baroness sugg: The UK Government is monitoring the arrest of Mr Bala closely. The Minister for Africa raised Mr Bala's case with the Nigerian Minister of Foreign Affairs during a call on 21 May. Our High Commission in Abuja has also discussed the case with the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Police. The recent update from the Nigerian authorities is that Mr Bala has been charged with 'insulting contempt of religious creed and insulting public disturbances' under the penal code and racist and xenophobic offences under the cybercrime act. The charges are made under Kano State Law.The Prime Minister's Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief, Rehman Chishti MP, is also personally looking into Mr Bala's case on an urgent basis, and has raised this matter with international counterparts. On 6 May, Mr Chishti spoke with the Chief Executive of Humanists UK and stressed the UK's engagement on this case. The Minister of State responsible for Human Rights, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, also discussed Mr Bala's case with the Chief Executive on 20 May.We will continue to stress the importance of a transparent investigation that respects Mr Bala's human rights, the rule of law, and the Nigerian constitutional right to freedom of religion or belief. Defending freedom of religion or belief for all remains a UK policy priority and we will continue to use our voice internationally to protect this human right, championed by Mr Chishti.

British Nationals Abroad: Coronavirus

lord naseby: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to facilitate the return to the UK of those British citizens stranded abroad due to the restrictions in place to address the COVID-19 pandemic. [T]

lord ahmad of wimbledon: British travellers who need and want to return to the UK is one of the Government's highest priorities. Since the outbreak in Wuhan, we estimate that over 1.3 million people have returned to the UK via commercial routes - the majority supported by our work to keep vital routes open. Since the Foreign Secretary announced £75m to support repatriation efforts on 30 March, the Government has so far delivered a programme of over 183 charter flights from where commercial options are no longer viable. These flights have brought over 37,700 people from 52 countries and territories, back to UK airports in the East Midlands, London and Manchester. We have also supported repatriation of more than 19,000 British passengers from cruise ships.Our consular team continues to work around the clock to provide support, advice and information. The situation is fast moving, and our advice at this time is for British nationals to secure safe accommodation and to speak to their tour operator, airline and or insurance company to discuss the options available to them. We are working intensively with the governments of those countries that have closed their borders to people travelling to and from the UK, to enable airlines to bring British nationals home.

Attorney General

Royal Albert Hall

lord hodgson of astley abbotts: To ask Her Majesty's Government when the Attorney General expects to give a definitive response to the request made three years ago by the Charity Commission in respect of the governance of the Albert Hall.

lord keen of elie: In December of last year, the Charity Commission wrote to the then Attorney General requesting consent to refer six questions to the First-Tier Tribunal concerning the Corporation of the Hall of Arts and Sciences, the Royal Albert Hall, which is a registered charity. This is the third such request by the Commission since 2017. The then Attorney General granted, then subsequently withdrew his consent in relation to the first request. The second request was withdrawn, with consent then sought for the reference of an amended set of questions last December. While the Charity Commission has the power to refer questions to the Tribunal, it may only do so with the consent of the Attorney General, as set out in section 325 of the Charities Act 2011. The Corporation made further representations in relation to the Commission’s request earlier this year. The Attorney General is in the process of considering the request and representations with a view to issuing a decision in due course.

Department for International Development

Yemen: Humanitarian Aid

lord collins of highbury: To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent steps they have taken to support humanitarian relief in Yemen.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: Last financial year (2019/20), UK aid helped feed over 650,000 Yemenis every month, treated over 70,000 children for malnutrition and provided over 1 million people with improved water supply and basic sanitation.Minister Cleverly announced the UK’s new pledge of £160 million in humanitarian funding for Yemen in the 2020/21 financial year at the Yemen Pledging Conference on 2 June. This pledge makes us the third largest donor to Yemen in the world this year and takes our total commitment to Yemen to nearly £1 billion since the conflict began.

Yemen: Humanitarian Aid

lord collins of highbury: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have totake steps through the United Nations to support the delivery of humanitarian aid in Yemen.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: Minister Cleverly announced on 2 June at the UN’s Yemen Pledging Conference that the UK will be providing £160 million to the UN’s 2020 Yemen appeal this financial year (2020/21) to help respond to Yemen’s humanitarian crisis. We remain committed to supporting the UN to deliver vital humanitarian assistance across Yemen in order to alleviate suffering and meet the needs of millions of vulnerable Yemenis.Ministers and officials continue to engage closely with other donors and the UN to ensure a coordinated international approach to the current excessive restrictions on humanitarian access, particularly in Houthi held areas. We welcome recent steps taken by the Houthis to improve humanitarian access but are clear that more progress is needed, or humanitarian organisations will be unable to continue delivering vital assistance.

Yemen: Humanitarian Aid

lord collins of highbury: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the humanitarian situation in Yemen.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: According to the UN, Yemen remains the world’s largest humanitarian crisis, with 80% of the entire population, over 24 million people, requiring some form of humanitarian assistance. More than 20 million people in Yemen do not have reliable access to food and almost 10 million people face extreme food shortages.We are concerned that the outbreak of COVID-19 in Yemen is already exacerbating this devastating humanitarian situation.DFID modelling estimates that over 100,000 Yemenis are now likely to have been infected by COVID-19. With only half of Yemen’s health facilities currently functional, we are extremely concerned by the capacity of the Yemen’s healthcare system to respond.Ultimately, a political settlement is the only way to properly address the worsening humanitarian crisis. We therefore strongly encourage all parties to engage with Special Envoy Martin Griffiths to find a peaceful solution to the conflict.

Occupied Territories: Coronavirus

baroness deech: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that any financial support they provide to assist the response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Gaza and the West Bank is spent as intended.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The UK has pledged £764 million to support the global humanitarian response to COVID-19. We have delivered additional vital support in the Occupied Palestinian Territories by providing £840,000 to WHO and UNICEF to purchase and co-ordinate the delivery of medical equipment, treat critical care patients, train frontline public health personnel and scale up laboratory testing capacity.All UK funding to the OPTs is subject to robust controls against fraud and the diversion of aid, and DFID’s funding agreements also commit partners to understand and comply with UK and international counter terrorism legislation. We maintain regular dialogue with all implementing partners to ensure UK funding is spent as intended.

Developing Countries: Nutrition

baroness manzoor: To ask Her Majesty's Government whetherit is their policy to renew their commitments to nutrition (1) at, or (2) before, the Tokyo Nutrition for Growth summit.

baroness sugg: We are still assessing options for any new commitment to nutrition now that both the Olympic pledging event and the Tokyo Nutrition for Growth Summit have been postponed. We await further details of the new format for the Summit. We will continue to invest in programmes to address malnutrition beyond 2020 and we will continue to work with the Government of Japan to ensure the future Tokyo Nutrition for Growth Summit is a success.

Overseas Aid: Malnutrition

baroness manzoor: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Sugg on 19 May (HL4100), when they will provide an update on their plans for UK investment to prevent and treat malnutrition.

baroness sugg: The UK remains committed to preventing and treating malnutrition as part of our commitment to end the preventable deaths of mothers, newborns and children. We will continue to invest in programmes to address malnutrition beyond 2020 and we will continue to work with the Government of Japan to ensure the future Tokyo Nutrition for Growth Summit is a success.

Coronavirus: International Cooperation

baroness goudie: To ask Her Majesty's Government whetherthe Department for International Development's Building Stability Frameworkis being used to informthe international response to the COVID-19 pandemic; and what actionsthey will take (1) to monitor, and (2) to address, any inequitable measures in response to the pandemic taken by (a) national governments, and (b) security services.

baroness sugg: The UK is pursuing a strong and co-ordinated global response to COVID-19, particularly for the most vulnerable countries. We recognise the risk that responses to the pandemic in some contexts may include politicisation, exploitation and securitisation, which may risk fuelling grievances, triggering violent instability, dividing societies and emboldening conflict actors.DFID’s 2016 Building Stability Framework continues to underpin our approach to promoting stability in fragile and conflict-affected states. The Framework recognises that conflict and fragility do not have single causes and constitute a complex system, and that helping fragile countries become more stable is a long-term endeavour.DFID is taking steps to ensure that both our immediate responses to COVID-19 and long-term recovery efforts do not exacerbate conflict and instead help to build peace and improve governance. We monitor how the pandemic and responses to it interact with conflict and governance on an ongoing basis in fragile states. We are encouraging our implementing partners to demonstrate accountability, strengthen local owner and leadership and adopt inclusive, conflict sensitive approaches. We are also working with International Financial Institutions and the UN to ensure their humanitarian, development and peace efforts are galvanised into an effective and coordinated response.

World Health Organisation: Coronavirus

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what support they are providing to other countries to ensure that COVID-19 cases reported to the WHO are disaggregated by (1) age, and (2) sex.

baroness sugg: Disaggregating all data for the pandemic as far as possible by sex, age, disability status is important for understanding differences in exposure, treatment and impact. We have developed guidance on how disaggregated data can be used to monitor the impact of our bilateral programmes’ response to the COVID-19 pandemic and we are working with our multilateral partner agencies including WHO on this issue.DFID is investing £6 million (2018-21) to support the UN Women-led flagship programme initiative on gender data – Making Every Woman and Girl Count and the joint UN Programme on Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) data as part of DFID’s wider support to the UN Development System. The programme aims to improve the production, availability, accessibility and use of quality data and statistics on gender equality and VAWG.Under the programme, WHO and UN Women have joined forces to establish a new data hub on COVID-19 and gender, which provides latest available data on COVID-19 cases by sex and age. The programme has also adapted quickly to support rapid assessment surveys focused on understanding gendered impacts of COVID-19 across a number of countries. Philippines, Pakistan, Bangladesh have already gone to the field and other countries in Asia Pacific and Africa will follow.

Developing Countries: Health and Social Services

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government how they ensure that their overseas programmes support front-line health and social workers and caregivers with equitable access to training, personal protective equipment and other essential products, taking into the account the specific needs of women.

baroness sugg: The UK recognises the critical role of front-line health, social and care workers, particularly now. We know that women make up 70% of global frontline health workers and are often the first responders in a crisis. UK aid helps provide these workers with the resources they need.For the global COVID-19 response, we have pledged £75 million to WHO, to help the organisation lead international efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19 and end the pandemic. This includes support to front-line health workers with equitable access to training and essential medical supplies, including Personal Protective Equipment. We are also investing £20 million in the African Union’s and Africa Centres for Disease Control COVID-19 response, to fund the deployment of African health experts and provide specialist training for clinicians.DFID programmes also support capacity building for health professionals. The new five-year, £30 million UK Partnerships for Health Systems programme will build a better-skilled health workforce in countries across Africa and South Asia, training health workers including nurses and midwives.We are already a leading global health donor, and an advocate for public health investment to achieve universal health coverage and Sustainable Development Goal 3. Investment in, recruiting and retaining skilled healthcare professionals is critical to achieve the Global Goals and meet our manifesto commitment to end preventable deaths of women, children and new-borns.

World Health Organisation: Coronavirus

baroness cox: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much they have contributed to theWorld Health Organisation's COVID-19 Response Fund.

baroness sugg: The UK has contributed £75 million to help the WHO lead international efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19 and end the pandemic.

Department for Education

Students: Computers

lord baker of dorking: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many (1) laptops, and (2) other computers, have been distributed to disadvantaged students under their digital devices and internet access scheme.

baroness berridge: The department is providing laptops and tablets to vulnerable and disadvantaged children who would otherwise not have access and are preparing for examination in Year 10, receiving support from a social worker, including pre-school children, or are a care leaver. Where care leavers, children with a social worker at secondary school and children in Year 10 do not have internet connections, we are providing 4G wireless routers.The department has also partnered with BT to give 10,000 young people free access to BT Wi-Fi hotspots, who do not have access to good internet by other means.Local authorities and academy trusts are best placed to identify and distribute the laptops, tablets and 4G wireless routers to children and young people who need devices. The department invited local authorities to order devices for the most vulnerable children first - children with a social worker and care leavers.Devices are being delivered to local authorities daily and will continue to be distributed throughout June.

Outdoor Education: Coroanvirus

baroness cox: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, as part of their COVID-19 recovery strategy, they will enable (1) professional outdoor education, and (2) adventure holiday providers, to offer appropriately distanced and planned activities (a) for schools, and (b) in the school holidays.

baroness berridge: The government’s overriding priority remains keeping the public safe. Any steps taken as part of a phased lifting of restrictions need to be measured and guided by the science. It is for this reason that, while we have set out that primary schools can now welcome back some more of their pupils, we are advising that professional outdoor education and adventure holiday companies that would usually offer activities for schools and/ or summer holiday activities to children, should be remaining closed for the time being.However, under the new social distancing guidelines, which allow up to, but no more than 6 people to gather outside, parents can take their children to a 1-1 outdoor coaching or training session, as long as the gathering does not exceed 6 people and social distancing is adhered to. Parents can also take their children to certain other outdoor sport and recreation activities, provided they are meeting these same social distancing requirements. Details of the types of activities included are set out in DCMS’s guidance for the public on the phased return of outdoor sport and recreation, which can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-on-phased-return-of-sport-and-recreation/guidance-for-the-public-on-the-phased-return-of-outdoor-sport-and-recreation.The government will keep this position under review and continue to be guided by the best scientific and medical advice to ensure that the right decisions are taken at the right time.

Universities: Wales

lord bassam of brighton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what impact assessment theyundertook of the decision to cap student numbers from England studying at universities in Wales; what consultation they had with the Welsh government; and what responsewas received to any such consultation.

baroness berridge: My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education and hon. Friend, the Minister of State for Universities, have regular meetings with Welsh ministers, and ministers from all of the devolved administrations, about higher education issues. These discussions have included the development of student number controls policy. The department’s officials also have regular meetings and discussions with their counterparts. Student number controls are a direct response to the COVID-19 outbreak. They are designed to minimise the impact of the financial threat to higher education institutions that is posed by the COVID-19 outbreak. They also form a key part of the package of measures to stabilise the higher education admissions system. These controls are a temporary measure and will be in place for one academic year only. Student number controls for higher education institutions in the devolved administrations only apply to the number of English-domiciled entrants who will be supported with their tuition fees through the Student Loans Company, and these controls are set at a level which will allow every institution to take more first year English students than they took last year. The funding of English-domiciled students is not a devolved matter, and it is right and fair that this policy should apply as consistently as possible wherever they are studying in the UK. Ministers will continue to work closely with the devolved administrations on strengthening and stabilising the higher education system following the COVID-19 outbreak.

Children: Disadvantaged

lord storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the call by the Children's Commissioner for England to set up summer classes in July and August to help children from disadvantaged circumstances catch up with their schoolwork.

baroness berridge: The government shares the concern about the impact of prolonged school closures on all pupils, particularly those who are disadvantaged. We are working at pace with partners to explore how best to support pupils to make up for time spent out of school.

Ministry of Justice

Cemeteries: Greater London

lord beecham: To ask Her Majesty's Government why they have not responded to the letter, dated 1 April, from Sam Johnson on behalf of the Board of Trustees of The Match Girls Union in relation to the proposed works at Manor Park Cemetery that might cause damage to the grave of Sarah Chapman.

lord keen of elie: Ms Johnson submitted a query to the Ministry of Justice on 1st April 2020 to ask if the email address she had used to send a letter to the Secretary of State was correct. On the 7th April we confirmed that the email address she had was correct.Unfortunately, we have no record of any email or letter from Ms Johnson to the Lord Chancellor having been received; and so, we have contacted her asking if she could resubmit her correspondence.

Sexual Offences: Prisons

baroness grey-thompson: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many of the sexual assaults in women's prisons since 2016 recorded in the Safety in Custody statistics published on 30 April were carried out by transgender prisoners.

lord keen of elie: There were 97 sexual assaults in female establishments between 1 January 2016 and 31 December 2019 and 7 of these assaults involved a transgender prisoner. Of those, 6 were assaults where a transgender individual was identified as the assailant or suspected assailant. One incident was recorded as a transgender prisoner having ‘active involvement’, which means they did not necessarily start the assault. These figures have been drawn from the HMPPS Incident Reporting System. Care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, but the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large-scale recording system. Although the figures are shown to the last individual the figures may not be accurate to that level. All sexual assaults in prison are referred to the police and HMPPS have strong safeguards in place to manage risks to all those in custody, regardless of their gender. HMPPS has robust processes in place to care for and manage transgender individuals in custody. The safety of all those in our care is of paramount importance. All known risks, both towards or presented by a transgender person in prison, will always be taken into account in their care and management. Individuals will be cared for and managed in the gender with which they identify, regardless of their location in a male or female prison.

Legal Aid Scheme: Refugees

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have toreintroduce legal aid for refugee family reunion cases.

lord keen of elie: Legal aid for refugee family reunion may be available under the Exceptional Case Funding (ECF) scheme, where failure to provide legal aid would mean there is a breach or a risk of breach of the individual’s human rights, and subject to means and merits tests.Last year we amended the scope of legal aid so that separated migrant children are able to receive civil legal aid for applications by their family members and extended family members. This includes entry clearance, leave to enter, or leave to remain in the UK, made under the immigration rules or outside the rules on the basis of exceptional circumstances or compassionate and compelling circumstances.

Religious Hatred: Prosecutions

lord roberts of llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many cases involving anti-Semitism or Islamophobia were prosecuted in UK courts in (1) 1980, (2) 2000, and (3) 2015.

lord keen of elie: The Ministry of Justice has published information on prosecutions in England and Wales for racially or religiously aggravated offences, however to identify which of these, or wider hate crime offences involved anti-Semitism or Islamophobia would require a manual search of court records which would be of disproportionate cost.

Large Goods Vehicles: Road Traffic Offences

lord bradshaw: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Vere of Norbiton on 5 May (HL3178), how many offences related to the abuse of weight restriction orders have been enforced by the police through the courts in the last year for which figures are available.

lord keen of elie: The Ministry of Justice has published information on prosecutions, convictions and sentencing outcomes, up to December 2019, which is available in the Home Office principle offence code data tool, available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/888344/HO-code-tool-principal-offence-2019.xlsx Offences specifically relating to vehicle weight restriction offences are not specifically identifiable from within existing offence categories. This information may be held on court record but to be able to identify these cases we would have to access individual court records which would be of disproportionate cost.

European Convention On Human Rights

baroness goudie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to suspend the UK’s membership of the European Convention on Human Rights.

lord keen of elie: The UK is committed to the European Convention on Human Rights.

Human Rights Act 1998

baroness goudie: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to amend the Human Rights Act 1998; and if so, how.

lord keen of elie: As set out in the Government’s manifesto, we need to look at the broader aspects of our constitution including the balance between the rights of individuals and effective government, this includes updating the Human Rights Act. Further details will be announced in due course. This does not change the fact that the UK is committed to human rights, and will continue to champion human rights at home and abroad.

Prisons: Suicide

lord german: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many suicides there have been on the prison estate since 1 March.

lord keen of elie: There have been four self-inflicted deaths in prisons in England and Wales in the period 1st - 31st March 2020. Our condolences are with the family and friends of the prisoners who have died.These figures are derived from the HMPPS Deaths in Prison Custody database. As classification of deaths may change following an inquest or as new information emerges, numbers are subject to change. Self-inflicted deaths are classified as any death of a person who has apparently taken his or her own life irrespective of intent.Data covering the period 1st April – 30th June is not yet available and will be published on 30th July.The health and welfare of prisoners is a priority. Self-inflicted deaths remain a huge concern, and we must continue to make jails safer and ensure prisoners can access the support they need – which is why we are extending telephone access and providing dedicated support to each individual.

Prisoners' Release: Coronavirus

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to release all (1) remand prisoners, and (2) prisoners over the age of 70, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

lord keen of elie: This Government is not going to release all remand prisoners or all prisoners over the age of 70, as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.On 4 April, this Government announced the End of Custody Temporary Release scheme (ECTR). This scheme enables risk-assessed prisoners, who are within two months of their release date, to be temporarily released from custody, as part of the national approach to managing public services during this challenging period. No high-risk offenders, including those convicted of violent or sexual offences, anyone of national security concern or a danger to children, will be considered for release, nor any prisoners who have not served at least half their custodial term. This scheme only applies to prisoners serving standard determinate sentences with an automatic release point and those committed to custody for fine default or contempt, which also excludes remand prisoners. However, good progress has been made in reducing the number on remand and we are grateful to the Judiciary in their assistance in prioritising these cases.For those who remain in custody, including prisoners over the age of 70, further operational guidance has been issued across the prison estate updating national policies on regime management following the Government steer on social distancing, shielding and household isolation. We have introduced cohorting arrangements in prisons endorsed by Public Health England to create safe environments for social distancing and household isolation. This involves isolating those with symptoms, shielding those most at vulnerable and quarantining new admissions in isolation from the rest of the prison for 14 days in Reverse Cohort Units to reduce the risk of infection.In addition, pregnant women, prisoners living in Mother and Baby Units and those identified as ‘extremely vulnerable’ as defined in the NHS guidelines will merit consideration for release on temporary licence on compassionate grounds during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Prisoners' Transfers

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many prisoners were transferred to (1) psychiatric hospitals, (2) psychiatric wings of prisons, and (3) other hospitals, in each of the last 12 months.

lord keen of elie: From the data held centrally, we are unable to differentiate between transfers to (1) psychiatric and (3) other hospitals. Further, for (2) prisons do not have psychiatric wings, and data on occupancy of dedicated residential healthcare facilities in prisons are not collected centrally. We can provide the total number of prisoners who have been transferred to hospital under sections 47 (sentenced prisoners) or 48 (remand prisoners/immigration detainees) of the Mental Health Act 1983 in the last 12 months and this is set out below:MonthTotalJun-201994Jul-201981Aug-201974Sep-201972Oct-201991Nov-201973Dec-201972Jan-202066Feb-202083Mar-202079Apr-202071May-202075 These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large-scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.Information is collected on the number of transfers, not the number of individual prisoners who are transferred. An individual prisoner may be transferred more than once in any given time period.We take the mental health of prisoners extremely seriously, which is why we have increased the support available to vulnerable offenders - especially during the first 24 hours in custody - and invested more in mental health awareness training for prison officers.

Prisons: Coronavirus

lord lee of trafford: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to set out the (1) stages, and (2) timescales, for lifting the (a) lockdown, and (b) temporary expansion, measures introduced to contain the spread of COVID-19 in prisons.

lord keen of elie: The latest National Framework for Prison Regimes and Services was published on 2 June and provides a conditional roadmap towards how prisons will operate whilst COVID-19 remains a threat. Prisons will move up or down the stages laid out in the Framework in response to local conditions such as an outbreak of infection in the prison or the community, or rates of staff absence. The Framework was published on GOV.UK as part of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) guidance and support information. The additional accommodation units are temporary accommodation only. They are designed to support Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service implement a compartmentalisation strategy. Prisoners will return to their usual accommodation arrangements when safe to do so.

Prisons: Coronavirus

the lord bishop of rochester: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of any increase in court activity on the level of COVID-19 infection amongst the prison population.

lord keen of elie: All new receptions into prison including those received from the courts are screened for signs and symptoms of Covid-19 by healthcare professionals and are quarantined in a Reverse Cohorting Unit (RCU) until it is safe to be moved.On 2 June, this Government published the National Framework for Prison Regimes and Services which sets out the conditional roadmap for the gradual resumption of services and regimes in prisons. One of the key objectives highlighted in this document is to ensure that we have enough space to receive from the courts and sufficient capacity to meet overall demand, while managing the risks of infection through the continued implementation of our compartmentalisation strategy.

Prison Sentences: Council Tax

baroness corston: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many (1) women, and (2) men, are currently serving prison sentences for non-payment of council tax.

lord keen of elie: As at 30 June 2019 (latest available data) no females and one male were in prison, having been committed to prison for non-payment of council tax.

Prisoners: Death

the lord bishop of gloucester: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many (1) men, and (2) women, have died in prison, or while under probation services, from natural causes that may have been exacerbated by COVID-19.

lord keen of elie: We are working hard to contain the spread of COVID-19 in the justice system as part of the national plan to protect the NHS and save lives. In our prisons and in the community, we are implementing a range of measures to reduce the spread of the transmission of the virus and the numbers of lives sadly lost. This has included the implementation of restricted prison regimes, the early release of low-risk offenders, temporary expansion of the prison estate and the reduction in the number of face-to-face probation meetings. As of 5pm on Friday, 5 June, we are aware of 21 men and 2 women in prison and 13 men and 2 women under probation supervision who have died from natural causes that may have been exacerbated by contracting COVID-19.

Prison Accommodation

the lord bishop of gloucester: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many prisoners are currently sharing a cell with one or more others, broken down by prison.

lord keen of elie: On arrival into custody, all prisoners’ suitability to share a cell is risk assessed. These assessments are based on numerous factors including index offence, health concerns and security information (such as beliefs and prejudices). Since March, we have introduced strong measures to avoid thousands of prisoners and staff becoming infected with COVID-19. This includes restrictions on movement between jails, the early release of low-risk offenders and the temporary expansion of the prison estate. These measures have helped to contain the spread of the virus and limit deaths. This action has helped to reduce the prison population, allowing establishments to implement ‘compartmentalisation’. We are installing over 1,000 temporary cells to increase space and help reduce the spread of the virus. These units are being placed where there are the highest number of shared cells, a lack of in-cell sanitation and where there are high numbers of vulnerable prisoners. We have also opened an Annex at HMP/YOI Rochester to hold up to 70 men. As at 29 May 2020, 35% of the prison population are sharing cells holding two or more people and this is broken down by establishment in the table below. The detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large-scale recording system. PrisonTotal number of prisoners sharing cellsProportionPrisonTotal number of prisoners sharing cellsProportionAltcourse68464%Leicester21968%Ashfield15237%Lewes17633%Askham Grange00%Leyhill00%Aylesbury00%Lincoln42271%Bedford24268%Lindholme33636%Belmarsh47658%Littlehey13412%Berwyn1,05661%Liverpool41259%Birmingham58264%Long Lartin00%Brinsford29053%Low Newton124%Bristol21745%Lowdham Grange61%Brixton53274%Maidstone529%Bronzefield10423%Manchester28439%Buckley Hall7216%Moorland25829%Bullingdon73769%New Hall329%Bure102%North Sea Camp16441%Cardiff39858%Northumberland00%Channings Wood447%Norwich25036%Chelmsford30245%Nottingham40248%Coldingley00%Oakwood81041%Cookham Wood00%Onley15422%Dartmoor00%Parc73646%Deerbolt144%Pentonville66872%Doncaster76070%Peterborough39847%Dovegate22419%Peterborough Female7427%Downview00%Portland12826%Drake Hall4117%Prescoed3617%Durham74482%Preston44169%East Sutton Park8698%Ranby32233%Eastwood Park8026%Risley17817%Elmley68362%Rochester21835%Erlestoke6413%Rye Hill15824%Exeter33471%Send00%Featherstone11017%Spring Hill21%Feltham13044%Stafford50871%Ford00%Standford Hill00%Forest Bank80158%Stocken24023%Foston Hall14246%Stoke Heath30242%Frankland00%Styal23562%Full Sutton00%Sudbury23250%Garth223%Swaleside00%Gartree223%Swansea25471%Grendon00%Swinfen Hall6211%Guys Marsh9823%Thameside68062%Hatfield165%The Mount22022%Haverigg00%The Verne214%High Down63356%Thorn Cross3611%Highpoint23618%Usk20784%Hindley24844%Wakefield00%Hewell50864%Wandsworth1,12077%Hollesley Bay4410%Warren Hill00%Holme House72463%Wayland28630%Hull55557%Wealstun00%Humber26027%Werrington00%Huntercombe20845%Wetherby00%Isis24642%Whatton11214%Isle Of Wight15615%Whitemoor00%Kirkham163%Winchester23850%Kirklevington Grange00%Woodhill245%Lancaster Farms12023%Wormwood Scrubs60156%Leeds74675%Wymott162%Grand total   27,84535%

Prisoners: Coronavirus

the lord bishop of gloucester: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many prisoners (1) meet thecriteriafor being considered clinically extremely vulnerable to COVID-19, and (2) are currently following shielding guidelines, broken down by prison.

lord keen of elie: NHS England and NHS Improvement are responsible for commissioning healthcare services in English prisons. Local Health Boards are responsible for prison healthcare services in Wales. Local prison healthcare services hold information on the number of prisoners considered clinically extremely vulnerable to Covid-19; we do not hold this information centrally. The number of prisoners currently following shielding guidelines broken down by prison can be found below (data as of Friday, 29 May): PrisonNumber of prisoners currently shieldingPrisonNumber of prisoners currently shieldingAskham Grange9Lancaster Farms~Bedford9Leeds84Berwyn50Leicester9Birmingham~Leyhill17Brinsford5Lindholme15Brixton53Liverpool78Buckley Hall~Long Lartin~Bullingdon11Low Newton~Channings Wood11Lowdham Grange5Chelmsford11Manchester35Dartmoor27Moorland135Deerbolt~New Hall27Doncaster30North Sea Camp15Dovegate32Norwich40Downview~Nottingham22Durham18Oakwood9Eastwood Park17Onley8Elmley20Parc46Exeter9Peterborough Female12Featherstone12Peterborough Male13Feltham16Portland~Ford21Ranby30Foston Hall16Rochester13Frankland8Rye Hill41Full Sutton~Stafford64Garth4Stocken13Gartree5Styal19Guys Marsh~Sudbury7Hatfield10Swansea16Hewell62Swinfen Hall~Hindley5Thorn Cross4Hollesley Bay8Usk13Holme House32Wakefield22Hull28Wealstun117Humber18Wetherby~Isle of Wight27Winchester16Kirkham8Woodhill8Kirklevington Grange5Wymott317  Total 1,892  Notes:The symbol ~ denotes suppressed values of 3 or fewer (and totals that would allow values of 3 or fewer to be calculated) to avoid the risk of identifying individuals.Prisons not included in this list did not report having any prisoners shielding at the current time.

Prisoners: Video Conferencing

the lord bishop of rochester: To ask Her Majesty's Government in which prisons prisoners can access video calls; and what is the level of provision of facilities to make such calls in each of those prisons.

lord keen of elie: The Government recognises the importance of maintaining family ties and following the cancellation of social prison visits it has moved quickly to keep prisoners in touch with their family members by other means. Following a successful trial at HMP Berwyn, Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) is introducing secure video calling to prisons and young offender institutions (YOIs) across England and Wales to maintain vital family contact for prisoners and young offenders during the coronavirus pandemic. As of 5 June we have deployed equipment to 20 establishments. (HMP Berwyn, HMP Bronzefield, HMP Buckley Hall, HMP Chelmsford, HMP Deerbolt, HMP Downview, HMP Durham, HMP Eastwood Park, HMP Full Sutton, HMP Garth, HMP High Down, HMP Hull, HMP Send, HMP Stocken, HMP Swinfen Hall, HMP Wayland, HMYOI Cookham Wood, HMYOI Feltham,HMYOI Werrington, HMYOI Wetherby). Details of establishments where families can book calls is updated as they go live on GOV.UK and social media for families. The level of provision to offer calls will differ by establishment based on local circumstances.

Prisons: Coronavirus

the lord bishop of rochester: To ask Her Majesty's Government to what extent each prison in England and Wales has implemented (1) the compartmentalisation strategy, (2) protective isolation units and shielding units, and (3) reverse cohorting units.

lord keen of elie: We continue to implement our compartmentalisation strategy: isolating the symptomatic, quarantining new arrivals and shielding the vulnerable. This strategy has shown early signs of success in reducing transmission in the prison estate. As of 15 June, 96% of prisons have fully implemented compartmentalisation. Broken down by unit, 98% have fully implemented protective isolation units; 98% have fully implemented shielding units; and 98% have fully implemented reverse cohorting units.

Prisons: Pepper Spray

lord bradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of issuing PAVA spray to prison staff, and, in particular, the impact on prisoners with protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010.

lord keen of elie: Keeping everyone in our prisons safe is paramount and remains the organisation’s biggest priority. PAVA is only used as a last resort and is used safely and appropriately to best protect both staff and prisoners from serious harm.It is important to recognise that this is just one element in a package of tools already in place to improve physical safety in prisons. It sits alongside Body Worn Video Cameras, Five Minute Intervention (FMI) training to enhance interpersonal interactions, a new personal safety training package, and the deployment of rigid bar handcuffs. All of these measures aim to help improve safety in prisons. We know that one of the most effective tools in managing people safely is the interpersonal skills of our staff. Therefore the introduction of PAVA will not happen in any establishment until all the staff there have had their FMI training and the new key worker role for our band 3 officers has been implemented.HMPPS is committed and duty bound to eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation, advance equality of opportunity between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not and to foster good relations between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not.In response to the Lammy Review, we are updating national training packages to raise awareness among all staff of the role of a range of biases in decision making, and strategies to combat these.Quality assurance and scrutiny of incidents is vital to ensuring that force is used legally and appropriately. Governors will be expected to ensure that scrutiny takes place after any drawing and/or use of PAVA. We have developed a toolkit of resources to assist prisons in maintaining effective scrutiny.

Prisons: Coronavirus

lord bradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what medical advice they have received on the impact of (1) the use of PAVA spray in prisons during the COVID-19 pandemic, and (2) the use of PAVA spray on a prisoner with COVID-19 symptoms.

lord keen of elie: PAVA mainly effects the eyes, but it also effects the respiratory system. The PAVA policy states that staff must take the health of a prisoner into consideration before deploying PAVA. The policy state that it must not be used on a prisoner in respiratory distress or showing other signs of immediate symptoms of acute ill health which are likely to be significantly exacerbated by PAVA deployment. This would include any prisoner that is suspected of having COVID19.Staff are also reminded that PAVA will only be used when exceptional circumstances apply and in accordance with training. The legitimate use of PAVA will only be considered reasonable as a means of defence when:It is necessary for an officer to defend themselves or a third party from an attack, or an impending attack, where they perceive a threat of immediate serious harm; andThere is no other reasonable option open to the member of staff to protect themselves or another person and reduce the risk of immediate serious harm but to employ this defensive technique.

Law Centres: Coronavirus

lord clement-jones: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports (1) that Law Centres are experiencing financial problems as a result of court closures and consequential loss of legal aid income due to COVID-19, and (2) that some Law Centres are facing closure as a result; and what assessment they have made of the role of Law Centres in providing (a) direct legal services, and (b) hubs for volunteer pro bono lawyers.

lord keen of elie: We recognise the valuable role that Law Centres, and the wider not-for-profit advice sector, play in local communities across the country, and we support them in this vital work.We are aware that Law Centres may experience financial issues due to the Covid-19 pandemic and have been working at pace to implement options to support them and other not-for-profits who provide this important service.I am pleased to say that the Government is allocating £5.4 million in funding to the not for profit providers of specialist legal advice. £3 million of this has been earmarked specifically for Law Centres.The £5.4m Government is allocating to advice providers will go some way to help them address their immediate cashflow problems. This will help protect these vital organisations from collapse, ensuring they remain able to provide support to the communities they serve.It will also enable them to continue to act as hubs for volunteer pro bono lawyers.

Prisons: Video Conferencing

lord garnier: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they intend to make the provision of secure video calls in prisons subject to a competitive procurement following the current pilot.

lord garnier: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to require prisoners or their families to pay for secure video calls; and if so, (1) from when, and (2) what the charge for a call will be.

lord keen of elie: We have introduced a temporary emergency video calling solution in recognition of the importance of maintaining family contact while social visits have been temporarily suspended in prisons in England and Wales. We have committed to the fact that there will be no cost of video calls to either families or those in custody during this time. At the appropriate time, we will consider future options for video calling across the estate beyond Covid-19 restrictions, which may include a competition for such services.

Department for International Trade

Trade Agreements: USA

lord jones of cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with (1) local authorities, and (2) the food sector, about trade talks with the US; what assessment they have made the Chartered Institute for Environmental Health's call to slow down trade talks with the US to allow for proper consultation with (a) relevant stakeholders, and (b) food organisations, that are currently occupied with supporting communities to get through the COVID-19 crisis.

lord jones of cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what consultations they are carrying out with (1) local authorities, and (2) the food sector, over trade talks with the government of the United States; and what plans they have to respond to the call by the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health on 21 May for such talks to be slowed down "as many of the relevant stakeholders and food organisations are busy helping their communities get through the COVID-19 crisis".

lord grimstone of boscobel: The Government is committed to a transparent trade policy and will continue engaging with stakeholders, including the food and drinks industry, throughout negotiations.Our Strategic Trade Advisory Group (STAG) and Expert Trade Advisory Groups (ETAGs), including a dedicated Agri Food ETAG set up jointly with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, regularly discuss the proposed UK-US Free Trade Agreement.Our trade talks with the US have been based on our negotiating objectives, published on 2 March 2020. The public consultation supporting these objectives was one of the largest in UK Government’s history, receiving nearly 160,000 responses.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Local Government Finance

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have received from the Local Government Association about the financial situation of local authorities in England and Wales.

lord greenhalgh: The Department regularly meets with council Leaders, Chief Executives of English councils and their representatives, including the Local Government Association, to ensure we have a collective understanding of the issues arising from the Covid-19 outbreak. Local government is a devolved matter, and therefore MHCLG do not engage directly with Welsh councils.We have now made £3.2 billion available to local authorities in England through an un-ringfenced grant so they can address pressures they are facing in response to the pandemic. The package recognises the additional costs and pressures on finances councils as a result of the current crisis. It demonstrates the Government’s commitment to making sure councils, including upper and lower tier authorities, have the resources they need to support their communities through this challenging time.In total, the Government has committed over £27 billion to local areas to support English councils and their communities. This also includes: £300 million to support the new test and trace service, £600 million to support providers through a new Infection Control Fund and £12.3 billion of support through the Small Business Grants Fund and the Retail, Hospitality & Leisure Grants.We will continue to work with local government and their representatives to ensure they are managing as the pandemic progresses.

Housing: Construction

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had, if any, with housing associations and local authorities about bringing forward proposals for building more (1) social, and (2) affordable, housing; and what plans they have, if any, to support small and medium sizedbusinesses to bid for these contracts.

lord greenhalgh: The Government is committed to increasing the supply of social housing and has made £9 billion available through the Affordable Homes Programme to March 2022.Building on this, we announced at Budget 2020 that we are investing £12 billion to build affordable homes between 2021/22 and 2025/26.The Affordable Homes Programme is delivered nationally through Homes England and the Greater London Authority in London. Both agencies have continued dialogue with registered providers to ensure optimum delivery of housing under the programme.We are firmly committed to supporting SMEs and strongly believe they can play a crucial role in reinvigorating the housing market and boosting housing supply. Our financial programmes to help SMEs grow and diversify include the £4.5 billion Home Building Fund, the Housing Growth Partnership and Housing Delivery Fund, and up to £1 billion of new guarantee support for SMEs to access.

Housing: Construction

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the amount of additional (1) social, and (2) affordable, housing that could be provided by refurbishing existing buildings.

lord greenhalgh: It is for local authorities to make an assessment of the need for affordable housing in their area and how best to meet this need including through planning consent.We have made no assessment of the amount of additional social or affordable housing that could be provided through the refurbishment of existing buildings.

Property Development: Isle of Dogs

lord adonis: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government required the issue of any ministerial directions, or expressed any concerns as accounting officer, in respect of the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government’s decisions relating to the Northern and Shell Corporation’s planning application for the development of Westferry Printworks.

lord greenhalgh: No.

Property Development: Isle of Dogs

lord adonis: To ask Her Majesty's Government what communication they had, if any, with the Mayor of Tower Hamlets about Northern and Shell's planning application for Westferry Printworks.

lord adonis: To ask Her Majesty's Government what (1) meetings, and (2) communications, took place between the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government and Richard Desmond in (a) 2019, and (b) 2020; and whether they will place the records of these meetings and communications in the Library of the House.

lord adonis: To ask Her Majesty's Government what (1) meetings, and (2) communications, took place involving special advisers and officials of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and executives of the Northern and Shell Corporation in (a) 2019, and (b) 2020; and whether they will place the (i) participant lists, and (ii) records, of these meetings and communications in the Library of the House.

lord greenhalgh: Details of Ministerial meetings with external organisations are published regularly and can be found at the following link on gov.uk:  https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/dclg-ministerial-dataThe Secretary of State declined to discuss the application with both the Mayor of Tower Hamlets and the developers.The Planning Inspector’s Report sets out a schedule of representations received by the Inspector. Special Advisers did not meet with the developers or local authority. Officials in MHCLG had no meetings and received no communications from executives of Northern and Shell.

Mayors

lord storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to (1) enabling alternative arrangements for the collection of signatures, and (2) extending the permitted timescale, for a city mayor referendum petition.

lord greenhalgh: In response to the Coronavirus pandemic the Government has made the Local Government and Police and Crime Commissioner (Coronavirus) (Postponement of Elections and Referendums) (England And Wales) Regulations 2020 which provide in relation to a city mayor referendum petition that:the period from 16 March 2020 to the 5 May 2021 must be disregarded when calculating the 12-month period within which signatures can be collected for a petition to be deemed valid; andto be valid, a petition cannot be handed in during the period 16 March 2020 to 5 May 2021.The Regulations also provide that any governance referendum, including a city mayor referendum, scheduled between 16 March 2020 and 5 May 2021 must be postponed to take place on 6 May 2021. The Regulations can be found (attached) at   https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2020/395/regulation/12/made



Regulation
(PDF Document, 81.34 KB)

Local Government Finance

lord storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what are the consequences when auditors fail to sign off a district council's annual budget.

lord greenhalgh: A council's annual budget is signed off by a meeting of the full council as presented by its chief finance or Section 151 Officer. An auditor does not generally have a role to play in this process. However, the auditor issues an opinion on ie ‘signs off’ a council’s year-end financial statements. This opinion may be unmodified or, where an auditor has identified significant issues, they may give a modified opinion. Auditors also have powers to issue an advisory notice or a public interest report. Local authorities are accountable to their electorate.It is a legal requirement for a council’s accounts to be signed off by the external auditor, however as the auditor must be satisfied with the accounts before doing so, there is not a specific timescale within which they must give their opinion or other specific consequences of a failure to sign off the accounts. Recently there has been a significant increase in the number of council accounts that remain outstanding. As at 31 May 2020, the 2018/19 accounts of 57 councils had not been signed off.To help address the audit delay issue, we commissioned the independent Redmond review to review arrangements supporting the transparency and quality of local authority financial reporting and external audit within the Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014. The Review is due to report later this year. We also recognise the pressures councils - and auditors - are under in the context of Covid-19 and have therefore extended the deadlines for them to publish their draft and final accounts in 2019/20 to 1 September and 30 November 2020 respectively.

Leasehold: Reform

lord truscott: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to legislate for leasehold reform.

lord greenhalgh: The Government is taking forward a comprehensive programme of reform to end unfair practices in the leasehold market. This includes measures to ban the sale of new leasehold houses, restrict ground rents to zero for future leases, give freehold homeowners equivalent rights to challenge unfair charges and close loopholes to prevent unfair evictions, and improve information for prospective buyers.We will bring forward legislation as soon as Parliamentary time allows.

Local Government: Brexit

baroness hamwee: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that local authorities and emergency response teams are prepared for the end of the transition period for leaving the EU on 31 December.

lord greenhalgh: The UK left the EU on the 31 January 2020 and the Government is committed to working with the EU to negotiate a fair future trade agreement. We are working closely with local authorities and Local Resilience Forums (LRFs) and will continue to do so to prepare for the end of the transition period.

Housing: Older People

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by the Cass Business School, the Association of Retirement Community Operators, and the Centre for the Study of Financial Innovation Too Little, Too Late? Housing for an ageing population, published on 3 June.

lord greenhalgh: This Government is committed to ensuring that more people than ever before can access a safe, secure, affordable place to call home. That is why, in the revised National Planning Policy Framework, we strengthened policy to create a clear expectation that all councils have policies in place for addressing the housing needs of older people. We also widened the definition of older people in the Framework to include those approaching retirement and have published further planning guidance to assist councils to get the right policies in place. Many older people are already benefiting from the more than 460,000 affordable homes we have delivered since 2010.Building on the current £9bn Affordable Homes Programme, the Chancellor announced in the last budget that we are investing £12bn to build affordable homes between 2021/22 and 2025/26. This will be the biggest cash investment in affordable housing for a decade. Since 2012-13 we have also provided over £2.7bn, delivering around 280,000 adaptations by the end of 2018-2019 to ensure older and disabled people can live independently and safely in their own home.The cross-government initiative 'Home of 2030' aims to inspire and reward the ambition of housing providers, designers, the supply chain and others through a design and delivery competition which addresses the major challenges of future housing needs: an ageing society and climate change. The competition's aim is to normalise new homes which are low-carbon, deliver low energy bills and are age-friendly, enabling all generations to live independently in housing which adapts to their needs as they age.The Government is working hard to ensure our economy is protected in the long term and is committed to building more homes. We will continue our progress towards our target of 300,000 homes a year by the mid-2020s. This will see us build at least a million more homes, of all tenures, over the next Parliament – in the areas that really need them. This includes reform of the planning system, including ensuring that planning permissions are built out more quickly, and more than £44bn of financial support over five years to 2022/2023.We are continuing to work with providers and others to ensure we can provide a range of housing options to meet the needs of everyone including older people and welcome this report as a contribution to the debate about how we can encourage the provision of a range of high-quality housing options for older people.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Faculty

lord macpherson of earl's court: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Accounting Officer for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government signed off the decision to let a contract to Faculty; whether the Accounting Officer (1) has confirmed that the contract was subject to open competition, and (2) has set out the reasons for the contract meeting value for money considerations; and if so, whether they will publish those reasons.

lord greenhalgh: The approval of the contract awarded to Faculty was completed in line with the Department’s scheme of Delegated Authority.The contract was awarded following a robust selection process through the Crown Commercial Service’s G-Cloud Digital Marketplace in line with its published processes, further details of which can be found (attached) at www.gov.uk/guidance/g-cloud-buyers-guide.Faculty’s G-Cloud service offered the best fit with the Department’s identified needs. Faculty’s pricing of this service offer was reviewed against alternative suppliers’ prices and was found to be comparable.The contract is based on the time and materials used to undertake the required services.



G-Cloud Digital Marketplace
(PDF Document, 132.29 KB)

Building Safety Fund

lord black of brentwood: To ask Her Majesty's Government why the Building Safety Fund applies only to buildings over 18 metres in height but not to those which are six stories high.

lord greenhalgh: The Building Safety Fund height eligibility should be measured as 18m or above using the approach set out in Annex A of the prospectus. The measurement should be taken from the lowest ground level to the finished floor level of the top occupied storey. This is consistent with the guidance to the buildings regulations with regards to fire safety and the height threshold used for the combustible materials ban, the basis of the height eligibility criteria for this fund.For the purposes of the fund, we are allowing a tolerance of 30cm to this measurement so any building with appropriate evidence that their building measures 17.7m or above will be eligible to proceed to application stage.

Department for Work and Pensions

Arcadia Group: Pensions

lord myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether Ministers or senior officials at the Department for Work and Pensions have had meetings in the last 3 months with the trustees, scheme sponsors or advisers to Arcadia Group pension schemes in respect of funding and funding commitments supporting these schemes.

baroness stedman-scott: There have been no meetings between Ministers or senior officials at the Department for Work and Pensions and trustees, scheme sponsors or advisers to the Arcadia Group pension schemes in respect of funding and funding commitments supporting these schemes.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Food: Labelling

lord harris of haringey: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether talks relating to future international trade agreementswill include possible reductions of current requirements for clear labelling of food to support people in making healthy choices in respect of the sugar, salt and fat content of foods.

lord goldsmith of richmond park: Whilst food labelling is a devolved matter, the same labelling rules currently apply across the UK. Under Article 30 of our Food Information to Consumers Regulations it is a requirement to provide a nutritional declaration on the label of pre-packed foods placed on the UK market. This declaration must include a range of information including details of sugar, fat and salt content. These regulations and requirements will continue to apply across the UK when the Transition Period ends on 31 December 2020. After the Transition Period we will work with the devolved administrations to ensure consumers remain well informed about their food. We have been clear that in all of our trade negotiations we will not compromise on our high environmental, animal welfare and food safety standards. In trade negotiations we will ensure our right to regulate in this area is preserved, including the ability to set our own mandatory labelling requirements to be met for both food produced domestically and food which is imported. Of course, our rules will also continue to be in line with our international obligations. The Government has committed to a rapid review and consultation on the role of labelling to promote high standards and animal welfare, and remains committed to delivering informative food and drink labelling and marketing standards to protect consumer interests, ensuring that consumers can have confidence in the food and drink they buy.

Animal Welfare and Environment Protection: Trade Agreements

lord harris of haringey: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether talks relating to future international trade agreements will include possible reductions of current requirements for animal welfare and environmental standards.

lord goldsmith of richmond park: The Government is committed to upholding our manifesto commitment that in all of our trade negotiations we will not compromise on our high environmental protection, animal welfare and food safety standards. We remain firmly committed to upholding our standards outside the EU, and at the end of the Transition Period the EU Withdrawal Act will transfer all existing EU provisions on environmental protection, animal welfare, and food safety, including existing import requirements, onto the UK statute book.We have also been clear in our approach to negotiating new trade deals that the UK will decide how we set and maintain our own standards and regulations and operate our own autonomous sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) regime. Any future trade deal must work for consumers, farmers, and businesses in the UK, and as with all negotiations, we will be prepared to walk away if that is in the national interest.

Droughts: Greater London

lord lee of trafford: To ask Her Majesty's Government, what assessment they have made of the likelihood that drought measures will need to be imposed in the Greater London area.

lord goldsmith of richmond park: Water companies supplying the Greater London area have reported that, despite the dry spring, their storage levels are normal and there is a low risk that they will need to implement restrictions this summer due to water availability. Further consecutive months of exceptionally dry weather (below 60% of long term average rainfall) could lead to a deterioration in reservoir storage and require further action, but at present the water resources situation in London is normal. If there continues to be significantly less rainfall than average, there will be impacts on the environment and on water availability for agriculture. The Environment Agency is working with all sectors through the National Drought Group to ensure that collaborative action is taken to minimise the impacts of drought. At present water companies across the country are reporting unprecedented high demands on water supplies and this is putting pressure on parts of their distribution networks. They are taking action to maintain supplies to customers.

Dairy Farming: Coronavirus

the duke of montrose: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to provide an economic assistance package for sheep and goat milk producers whose markets have been disrupted by COVID-19.

lord gardiner of kimble: We continue to monitor the impact of the coronavirus disruption on all sectors and dairy producers and are committed to providing support. Dairy producers are eligible for a range of support, including the Covid-19 Business Interruption Loan Scheme and the Bounce Back Loan Scheme. The Bounce Back Loan Scheme will ensure that the smallest businesses can access up to £50,000 loans with a Government 100% guarantee on each loan, to give lenders the confidence they need to support the smallest businesses in the country. We will also cover the first 12 months of interest payments and fees charged to the business by the lender.

Animal Products: Imports

lord selkirk of douglas: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to introduce legislation to ban the import of hunting trophies, including animal heads and carcasses.

lord selkirk of douglas: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, under current regulations, trophy hunters were able to bring body parts from threatened and vulnerable species such as elephants, hippopotamuses, lions and cheetahs into the UK overthe last 10 years.

lord goldsmith of richmond park: The Government takes the conservation of endangered species seriously and committed to banning the import of hunting trophies from endangered species in our manifesto. A consultation on controls on the import and export of hunting trophies to and from the UK was undertaken between 2 November 2019 and 25 February 2020. The outcome of the consultation, and the accompanying call for evidence will inform our next steps. We are continuing to work on this important area and will publish the Government response as soon as it is practical to do so.The UK is Party to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which regulates international trade in endangered species and aims to ensure it does not threaten their survival. Under these internationally agreed rules, imports of hunting trophies into the UK from species listed under CITES, including elephants, hippopotamuses, lions and cheetahs are subject to strict controls.Hunting trophies are currently allowed to be imported into the UK where they meet current criteria and demonstrate the import will have no detrimental impact on the conservation status or survival of these species, that the specimens have been obtained from a legal and sustainable hunting operation and in accordance with the legislation on the protection of the species concerned. There are however import suspensions relating to certain species coming from particular countries where the hunting of those species is not considered sustainable. These are kept under review.

Animal Welfare

lord randall of uxbridge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to legislate to define animal sentience.

lord goldsmith of richmond park: The Government is committed to further strengthening our world-leading animal welfare standards. We have committed to bringing in new laws on animal sentience. Any necessary changes required to domestic legislation will be made in a rigorous and comprehensive way and will be brought forward when Parliamentary time allows. Additionally, we have committed to ending excessively long journeys, and banning the keeping of primates as pets. We want to increase maximum sentences for animal cruelty, which is being taken forward as a Private Members Bill.

Home Office

Refugees: Families

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to expand the eligibility criteria for family reunion refugee status to include adult refugees sponsoring their (1) adult children, (2) parents, and (3) siblings under the age of 25; and whether they will allow unaccompanied children now in the UK to sponsor their parents and siblings under the age of 25.

baroness williams of trafford: The Government already provides a safe and legal route to bring refugee families together through its family reunion policy. This allows a partner and children under 18 of those granted protection in the UK to join them here, if they formed part of the family unit before the sponsor fled their country. Refugees can also sponsor adult dependent relatives living overseas to join them where, due to age, illness or disability, that person requires long-term personal care that can only be provided by relatives in the UK. There are separate provisions in the Rules to allow extended family to sponsor children to come here where there are serious and compelling circumstances.Further, there is discretion to grant visas outside the Immigration Rules, which caters for extended family members in exceptional circumstances – including young adult sons or daughters who are dependent on family here and living in dangerous situations. It is the Government’s view that if children were allowed to sponsor family, this would risk creating incentives for more children to be encouraged, or even forced, to leave their family and risk hazardous journeys to the UK. This plays into the hands of criminal gangs who exploit vulnerable people and goes against our safeguarding responsibilities.

Undocumented Migrants: English Channel

lord maginnis of drumglass: To ask Her Majesty's Government what evidence they have about whether French border patrol ships are systematically monitoring or shadowing migrant boats across the English Channel into UK waters; and what that evidence shows, if anything, about the outcome when such boats reach the English coast.

baroness williams of trafford: Border Force vessels covering the South East Channel are usually tasked to identify migrant events by the Coastguard, with the priority being search and rescue and the safety of life. Border Force work closely with the Coastguard and French authorities to ensure we provide an effective response to migrant events at sea. Migrants undertaking these dangerous journeys in unsuitable and overloaded small boats are putting the lives of themselves and others at considerable risk and the priority for all assets deployed at sea is safety. At sea, under international law, the preservation of life is paramount. In some cases, French boats will remain with migrants if they refuse rescue. But we are clear no-one should be crossing at all and we are developing plans to reform policies and laws to help to stop these crossings completely.

Undocumented Migrants: Coronavirus

lord maginnis of drumglass: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many illegal migrants coming to the UK via France were apprehended by UK authorities (1) since the COVID-19 lock-down began, and (2) in each month since May 2018; and what percentage ofthose apprehended in each of those months have been successfully repatriated.

baroness williams of trafford: We do not routinely publish the information you have requested, we are unable to provide this information, as it could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.  The number of migrants arriving in the UK crossing the Channel by small boats for the months of January to March 2020 is approx. 450.  These are provisional figures based on operational management information. The figures for April and May have not passed through a data quality check and cannot be assured. The final figures for all months will be published at a later date, once they have been verified and fully quality assured. The UK continues to work closely with France and other countries to return migrants who have entered the UK by small boat in order to provide a strong deterrent against these dangerous crossings. Since January 2019, over 155 people who entered the UK illegally on small boats have been returned to Europe. However, as a result of COVID-19 the vast majority of EU member states have temporarily paused accepting returns under the Dublin Regulations, but we are tracking those individuals and where appropriate will seek to return them when routes are available It is the policy of this Government to return those not in need of protection.The majority of countries who are signatories to the Dublin Regulations which governs the return of those seeking asylum in the UK to a third country have announced temporary suspension of transfers to and from all EU Member States due to the Corona virus.Returns to third-countries can still take place where there is a suitable route of return. We are ready to resume Dublin returns as soon as travel restrictions are lifted The Home Office publishes data on the number of asylum seekers transferred under the Dublin regulation in the ‘Immigration Statistics Quarterly Release’ (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/immigration-statistics-quarterly-release). Data on the number of asylum seekers transferred out of the UK under the Dublin Regulation, broken down by the EU member state they have been transferred to are published in tables Dub_D01 of the asylum and resettlement detailed datasets (https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/asylum-and-resettlement-datasets). Information on how to use the dataset can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbook. The latest data relates to the year ending December 2019. Please note, that we do not publish the breakdowns of the nationality of those being transferred under the Dublin regulation. Additionally, the Home Office publishes a high-level overview of the data in the ‘summary tables’ (attached). The ‘contents’ sheet contains an overview of all available data on asylum and resettlement. Information on future Home Office statistical release dates can be found in the ‘Research and statistics calendar’ (https://www.gov.uk/search/research-and-statistics?keywords=immigration&content_store_document_type=upcoming_statistics&organisations%5B%5D=home-office&order=relevance).Full guidance on Dublin III Regulation was published on 30/04/2020 and can be found via the link below:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/882400/Dublin-III-regulation-v3.0ext.pdf



Asylum summary tables
(Excel SpreadSheet, 118.48 KB)

Registration of Births, Deaths, Marriages and Civil Partnerships

baroness hodgson of abinger: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they plan to issue guidance to local councils regarding the recommencement of birth registrations; and whether all registry offices in England will reopen at the same time.

baroness williams of trafford: The local registration service in England has been advised that birth registrations can recommence where these can be safely delivered in line with Public Health and local authority guidelines. It will be for individual local authorities to determine when it is safe for them to open.

Registration of Births, Deaths, Marriages and Civil Partnerships: Coronavirus

baroness hodgson of abinger: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether therule that a baby’s birth must be registered within 42 days has been relaxed due to the closure of registry offices to register births caused by COVID-19.

baroness williams of trafford: The requirement for births to be registered within 42-days of the date of birth is not currently being enforced.

Undocumented Migrants: France

lord maginnis of drumglass: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) whether France has taken effective action to apprehend those who accommodate illegal migration to the UK, and (2) how many arrests and convictions of such people traffickers have been recorded and reported by France over the past two years.

baroness williams of trafford: The Home Office liaises directly with the French Interior Ministry on addressing the issue of illegal migration, engaging at an official, diplomatic level and supported at an operational level through regular UK-French Migration Committees.Through joint-working with France, the UK has funded the continued deployment of French law enforcement along the coast of northern France, who are patrolling constantly in order to detect attempted crossings by migrants. Funding has been allocated, among other projects, for further security improvements at ports in northern France and on the ground, which includes drones, specialist vehicles and detection equipment to stop small boats leaving European shores.Intelligence flows are also key to dismantling the organised crime groups behind crossings. We have restructured and repurposed our approach to support to better inform and direct how and where law enforcement is deployed. We do not hold data on French arrests and convictions.

Undocumented Migrants: France

lord maginnis of drumglass: To ask Her Majesty's Government what financial payments the UK has made to France to assist in the prevention of illegal migration in each of the lastfive financial years.

baroness williams of trafford: The UK and France maintain a longstanding relationship on tackling illegal migration at the shared border; since 2015 the UK has committed several funding packages to supporting this work. In 2015, both countries signed a Joint Declaration which committed £10 million towards security reviews of the juxtaposed controls and to moving migrants into reception centres across France. This was followed by payments in 2016 (£17 million) and 2017 (£36 million) to further strengthen the border and maintain the operation of the juxtaposed controls. In January 2018 both countries signed the Sandhurst Treaty. The UK made a commitment of €50 million (£45.5m) to implement the terms of the Treaty, which adopted a “whole of route approach” to tackling illegal migration. This was followed in 2019 by the signature of the Joint Action Plan on Combatting Illegal Migration Involving Small Boats. Under paragraph 11 of this plan, the UK committed €3.6m (approximately £3.25m) to tackling the issue. This was supplemented with a further €2.5m (£2.25m) in the 19/20 Financial Year, which was dedicated to the deployment of gendarme reservists and further strengthening preventive security measures at the French coast.

Travel Restrictions: Coronavirus

lord berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the scientific evidence behind the decision that certain groups of incoming travellers from abroad, including (1) healthcare, (2) agriculture, (3) transport, and (4) other business, workers should not be subject to a 14 day quarantine, depending on the purpose of their visit and the country of the start of their journey.

baroness williams of trafford: From 8 June, all passengers arriving in the UK without having travelled through another part of the Common Travel Area are required to self-isolate for 14 days, apart from those on a short list of exemptions. Scientific advice and other considerations suggest that imported cases matter most when the UK has a low level of infection. Self isolation of those arriving in the UK helps to reduce the risk of imported cases forming a higher proportion of overall infections.A small group of arrivals to the UK will be exempt from the self-isolation measure, in order to allow the UK to maintain essential supply chains and infrastructure and respect our international obligations.

Borders: Personal Records

lord kirkhope of harrogate: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with UK-based airlines about the implementation of Passenger Name Record monitoring after January 2021.

baroness williams of trafford: Negotiations are currently ongoing with the European Union to secure an agreement which provides for reciprocal transfers of Passenger Name Record (PNR) data to protect the public from serious crime and terrorism, and which provides a lawful basis for UK and EU airlines to continue to transfer PNR data to law enforcement agencies in the UK and the Member States. The Home Office meets with UK airlines regularly at meetings of the UK National Air Transport Facilitation Committee to provide updates and address concerns relating to transfers of PNR data following the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union and ahead of the end of the withdrawal transition period.

Immigrants: Detainees

lord roberts of llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what support was provided to those released from immigration removal centres as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

lord roberts of llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether those released from immigration removal centres as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic were required to provide the address at which they would belivingon their release.

baroness williams of trafford: We remain committed to providing support and accommodation to those who need it. In light of the pandemic, we have introduced temporary measures to continue supporting those who would normally have had their accommodation and financial assistance stopped until at least the end of June when we will review the situation. We are ensuring local authorities are supported, with £3.2 million in targeted funding to help support individuals who are sleeping rough off the streets, and an additional £3.2 billion provided to local authorities as part of the wider government response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This funding has been provided to help local authorities to reduce risks to public health and to support individuals on the basis of need.In addition, local authorities may provide basic safety net support, regardless of immigration status, if it is established that there is a genuine care need that does not arise solely from destitution, for example, where there are community care needs, migrants with serious health problems or family cases where the wellbeing of a child is in question. The legal position on those with no recourse to public funds has not been amended. People granted refugee status in the United Kingdom are able to access the mainstream benefits in the same way as a British Citizen. Asylum seekers who would otherwise be unable to support themselves are provided with accommodation and financial assistance to meet their essential living needs.Individuals released from immigration detention will usually be subject to certain conditions which may require a person to report to a Home Office reporting centre at regular intervals or to remain living at the same address. Any foreign national offender released into the community on bail is subject to conditions and additional monitoring is available, including electronic tagging and telephone contact.

Overseas Students: Visas

lord bradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that all overseas student visa applications are processed in time to enable these students to register to study at UK universities in the 2020–21 academic year.

baroness williams of trafford: UKVI have ensured that sufficient casework capacity is in place and are engaging with the Education Sector, to plan to meet the demands of the student market for Autumn enrolments. UKVI are also working with their Commercial Partners to enable this within the confines of international restrictions in place because of COVID-19.

Asylum: Sri Lanka

lord naseby: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many Sri Lankan nationals sought asylum in the UK in (1) 2018, and (2) 2019, and how many were successful.

baroness williams of trafford: The Home Office publishes data on asylum applications in the ‘Immigration Statistics Quarterly Release’ (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/immigration-statistics-quarterly-release). Data on the number of asylum applications from Sri Lankan nationals and the initial decision on such applications are published in the asylum and resettlement detailed datasets (https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/asylum-and-resettlement-datasets).Table Asy_D01 contains information on the number of asylum applications. Table Asy_D02 contains information on initial decisions on such applications. In addition to those granted at initial decision, some will be granted following appeal. Data on the number of appeals lodged can be found in Asy_D06, and data on the outcome of such appeals in Asy_D07.Additionally, the Home Office publishes a high-level overview of the data in the ‘summary tables’ (attached). The ‘contents’ sheet contains an overview of all available data on asylum and resettlement. The latest data relates to the year ending March 2020.Information on future Home Office statistical release dates can be found in the ‘Research and statistics calendar’ (https://www.gov.uk/search/research-and-statistics?keywords=immigration&content_store_document_type=upcoming_statistics&organisations%5B%5D=home-office&order=relevance)



Asylum summary tables
(Excel SpreadSheet, 118.48 KB)

Deportation

lord pearson of rannoch: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many deportation orders (1) were issued, (2) were appealed, and (3) failed on appeal, in each year from 2014 to 2019; and in each of those years, how many people were deported .

baroness williams of trafford: Providing the information requested would require a manual check of individual records which could only be done at disproportionate cost. The Home Office does routinely publish statistics on the number of Foreign National Offenders removed from the UK. This information can found by accessing the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-statistics-year-ending-march-2020/list-of-tables

Forced Migration, SGBV and Covid-19

baroness lister of burtersett: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by the University of BirminghamForced migration, SGBV and COVID-19, published in May, and what action do they intend to take as a result.

baroness williams of trafford: The Government acknowledges the University of Birmingham’s report “Forced migration, Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) and COVID-19”. This Government is committed to protecting the most vulnerable. We will examine the recommendations in greater detail and I will write to you following our consideration.

Asylum: Finance

baroness lister of burtersett: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 27 May (HL4183), whether the outcomes of the review of asylum support will be published by the end of June.

baroness williams of trafford: We review the level of financial support provided to asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute annually, using a methodology that has been in place since 2014 and which the courts have agreed is rational and lawful. The methodology takes account of the costs of food, clothes, toiletries and other items. The standard weekly allowance has been raised to £39.60 from £37.75, an increase of around 5%, because the methodology showed this is now the amount the average asylum seeker needs to meet their essential living needs. This increase is considerably higher than current year to year rise in general inflation, which was reported to be 0.8% in April. This allowance is only one part of the package of support provided. We also provide free accommodation, utilities are paid for, council tax is paid for, and there is free access to the NHS and free education for their children.

Refugees: Children

baroness hamwee: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Draft Working Text for an Agreement between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the European Union on the transfer of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children makes it a mandatory obligation to (1) ensure family reunion, and (2) confer rights enforceable through domestic legal systems

baroness williams of trafford: The UK published the draft legal text of our proposed agreement with the EU on the family reunion of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children on 19 May.Under the terms of the draft legal text, the UK would act on requests from sending states where we are satisfied that the criteria for transfer as set out in the draft legal text are met. It is only right that all transfers are in a child’s best interests and the legal text makes that clear. A transfer could be rejected, for example, where there are safeguarding concerns or failure to establish a proven family link as these transfers would not be in a child’s best interests.With regards to conferral of rights enforceable through domestic legal systems, the UK will abide by its international agreements and implement it in domestic law as appropriate. An individual’s rights come from the UK’s implementation of an international agreement, not from the agreement itself – this is standard practice for all international agreements.

Cabinet Office

Coronavirus: Disease Control

baroness hayter of kentish town: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they informed the Welsh Government of the change of COVID-19 messaging to "stay alert"; and whether this was before the change had been reported in the media.

lord true: We have confronted this virus as one United Kingdom and have worked closely with the devolved administrations throughout with regular meetings and discussions with ministers and officials.For example, during the week prior to the change in messaging, the Prime Minister had a call with First and deputy First Ministers of the Devolved Administrations, and the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster had a further call with them. This was on top of the ongoing work at official level on how we would tackle the virus together.

Borders: Northern Ireland

baroness hayter of kentish town: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of their proposals for the Northern Ireland Protocol on Welsh ports.

lord true: Our proposals on the Northern Ireland Protocol will strengthen Northern Ireland’s place in the United Kingdom and its internal market. In taking our proposals forward we will continue to engage with businesses and ports, to ensure that right across the UK we can take advantage of the opportunities there will be as the UK grows its trade with countries around the world.

Brexit: Human Rights and Rule of Law

baroness hamwee: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, in negotiations with the European Union, having regard to law enforcement and internal security, they have referred in the single governance framework to common values including the rule of law and human rights, and to the UK’s continued adherence to the European Convention on Human Rights; and if not, (1) why not, and (2) what assessment they have made of the impact on the outcome of negotiations regarding security matters.

lord true: There have been constructive negotiations on law enforcement and criminal justice cooperation. In round four of negotiations, for example, there were detailed technical exchanges on extradition, the UK’s relationship with Europol and the exchange of Passenger Name Record (PNR) information.As set out in the UK Approach, an agreement in this area should include: arrangements that support data exchange for law enforcement purposes; operational cooperation between law enforcement authorities; and judicial cooperation in criminal matters. This cooperation should be underpinned by the importance that both parties attach to safeguarding human rights, the rule of law and high data protection standards.

Coronavirus: Death

lord greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the statistics for deaths from COVID-19 in local authority areas are based on the home addresses of the people who have died or the location in which they die.

lord true: The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have therefore asked the Authority to respond.Dear Lord Greaves,As National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority, I am responding to your Parliamentary Question asking whether the statistics for deaths from COVID-19 in local authority areas are based on the home addresses of the people who have died or the location in which they die (HL5296).The Office for National Statistics (ONS) is responsible for publishing mortality statistics for deaths registered in England and Wales. The most recent annual figures published are for deaths registered in 2018[1]. However, we do publish provisional weekly deaths registrations, which are currently published for deaths registered up to 29 May 2020[2]. We publish information at the local authority and health board regional levels as a dataset[3] alongside the weekly deaths bulletin.ONS mortality statistics are based on information recorded when deaths are certified and registered. Details of the usual residence of the deceased are supplied by the informant to the registrar. In our publications, the local authority breakdowns are based on the place of usual residence of the individual. Therefore, if the death occurred in a different geographical location to the deceased’s usual residence, their death would be included within the number reported for the local authority relating to their usual address. The place of death (hospital, care home, home, etc.) is reported as recorded on the death certificate. More information is available in our Mortality Statistics User Guide[4].Yours sincerely,Professor Sir Ian Diamond [1]https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths/datasets/deathsregisteredinenglandandwalesseriesdrreferencetables[2]https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths/bulletins/deathsregisteredweeklyinenglandandwalesprovisional/latest[3]https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/causesofdeath/datasets/deathregistrationsandoccurrencesbylocalauthorityandhealthboard[4]https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths/methodologies/userguidetomortalitystatisticsjuly2017#area-coverage

Population: Age

lord maginnis of drumglass: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the average age of the population of the United Kingdom in (1) 1990, (2) 2000, (3) 2010, (4) what is the current 2020 figure, and (5) the projected figure for 2050.

lord true: The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have therefore asked the Authority to respond. Dear Lord Maginnis,As National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority, I am responding to your Parliamentary Question asking what the average age of the population of the United Kingdom was in (1) 1990, (2) 2000, (3) 2010, (4) what is the current 2020 figure, and (5) the projected figure for 2050 (HL5312).The Office for National Statistics (ONS) published the latest (30 June 2019) mid-year population estimates on 6 May 2020[1]. Table MYE6 contains the median age for the years from 2001 to 2019. Median age is that at which half the population is above that age and half below. For 1990, 2000 and 2010, the ONS have used the already published median age, and, for 2020 and 2050, have taken the median age from the latest 2018-based Principal Population Projections, UK Summary[2] published on 21 October 2019. Table 1 shows the median ages for the requested years.Table 1: UK median ages YearMedian age (years)199035.8200037.6201039.5202040.4205043.7Source: ONS mid-year population estimates and 2018-based population projectionsYours sincerely,Professor Sir Ian Diamond[1]https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/populationestimates/datasets/populationestimatesforukenglandandwalesscotlandandnorthernireland[2]https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/populationprojections/datasets/tablea11principalprojectionuksummary

Treasury

Income Tax: Coronavirus

lord roberts of llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking, if any, to alter higher rates of income taxto ensure that no-one unduly benefits financially from the COVID-19 pandemic.

lord agnew of oulton: The Government is committed to a fair tax system in which those with the most contribute the most. The income tax system consists of three progressive rates of tax, which sit above an internationally high personal allowance. This creates a highly progressive income tax system, with the top 1% of income taxpayers projected to pay over 29% of all income tax in 2019-20. The Government is proud of its record of reducing tax for working people. The personal allowance has increased by more than 90% in less than a decade, which means that a typical basic rate taxpayer pays over £1,200 less income tax compared to 2010-11. The Government keeps all aspects of the tax system under review; as the UK exits the current crisis, the Government will take stock of the economy and public finances and make further decisions at that point.

H2O Asset Management

lord myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether (1) they, or (2) the Financial Conduct Authority, are investigating the value of H2O Asset Management’s transactions on behalf of (a) regulated investment funds under its management, (b) parties related to H2O Asset Management, and (c) H2O Asset Management affiliated companies and executives.

lord agnew of oulton: This is a matter for the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), which is operationally independent from Government. The question has been passed on to the FCA. The FCA will reply directly to the noble Lord by letter. A copy of the letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Revenue and Customs: Telephone Services

lord moonie: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much income they received in the last financial year from calls to Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs helplines that have the 0300 prefix.

lord agnew of oulton: HMRC do not receive any income from the use of 0300 numbers.

Revenue and Customs: Recruitment

baroness randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many of the 50,000 additional UK customs agents required after the end of the transition period have been recruited so far; and how many have completed their training.

lord agnew of oulton: The UK has a well-established industry of customs intermediaries which serve British businesses trading outside the EU. The sector is varied and made up of a number of different business models including specific customs brokers, freight forwarders and fast parcel operators; all of which will require varied numbers of staff. Government support of £34m has been designed flexibly to meet the needs of the sector to build capacity by covering training and IT innovation, as well as recruitment. This funding has led to almost 20,000 applications for customs training courses with providers. These courses will teach all the necessary skills required to handle customs declarations, and include the online UK Customs Academy founded by HMRC. HMRC do not employ customs agents/customs intermediaries directly and the 50,000 figure is an industry calculation.

Airports: Non-domestic Rates

baroness randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to introduce a business rate relief scheme for airports in England.

lord agnew of oulton: The Government has provided enhanced support to the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors through business rates relief given the direct and acute impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on those sectors. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has published guidance for local authorities on eligible properties. A range of further measures to support all businesses, including those not eligible for the business rates holiday have also been made available. For example, the Government has launched the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme to help firms continue to keep people in employment, and the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme.

Self-employment Income Support Scheme: Ministers of Religion

baroness ritchie of downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, toinclude ministers of religion in the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme.

lord agnew of oulton: The design of the Self Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS), including the eligibility requirement that an individual’s trading profits must at least equal to their non-trading income, means it is targeted at those who are most reliant on their self-employment income. Where ministers of religion are paid through PAYE, they may be eligible to be furloughed and receive support through the Coronavirus Job Retention scheme. They may also be eligible for the other elements of the unprecedented financial support provided by the Government. This package includes Bounce Back loans, tax deferrals, rental support increased levels of Universal Credit, mortgage holidays, and other business support grants.

Government Assistance: Small Businesses

lord allen of kensington: To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made in developing a scheme to provide financial support to directors of small businesses who pay themselves through a dividend; and what steps they have taken since the Prime Minister committed to look into the options for that group of people on 27 May.

lord agnew of oulton: Those who pay themselves a salary through their own company are eligible for the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS). The CJRS is available to employers, including owner-managers, and individuals paying themselves a salary through a PAYE scheme are eligible. Where furloughed directors, including companies with a sole director, need to carry out particular duties to fulfil their statutory obligations, they may do so provided it is no more than would reasonably be judged necessary for that purpose. Dividends are not covered by the CJRS or the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS). Income from dividends is a return on investment in the company, rather than wages. Under current reporting mechanisms it is not possible for HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to distinguish between dividends derived from an individual’s own company and dividends from other sources, and between dividends in lieu of employment income and as returns from other corporate activity.The Government has worked with stakeholders and carefully considered the case for providing a new system for those who pay themselves through dividends. However, targeting additional support for those who pay their wages via dividends is much more complex than existing income support schemes. Unlike announced support schemes, which use information HMRC already hold, such a scheme would require owner-managers to make a claim and submit information that HMRC could not efficiently or consistently verify to ensure payments were made to eligible companies, for eligible activity. The Government has heard the suggestion made that HMRC could adopt a ‘pay now, claw back later’ approach. However, such an approach would be highly resource-intensive to ensure appropriate compliance, and there is a high risk that incorrect or fraudulent payments could not be recovered, ultimately at the cost of UK taxpayers. The Chancellor of the Exchequer has said there will be no further extension or changes to the SEISS or CJRS. However, other support is available. The CJRS and SEISS continue to be just two elements of a comprehensive package of support for individuals and businesses. This package includes Bounce Back loans, tax deferrals, rental support, increased levels of Universal Credit, mortgage holidays, and other business support grants.

Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme

lord jones of cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Agnew of Oulton on 20 May (HL4003), whether "until July" indicates that theCoronavirus Job Retention Scheme will be in place in its current form up to and including 30 June; and whether "after July" indicates that they willintroduce more flexibility to the furlough scheme from 1 July.

lord agnew of oulton: The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme will remain in its current form until 30 June, with flexible furloughing introduced from 1 July. From 1 July, employers can bring back to work employees that have previously been furloughed for any amount of time and any shift pattern, while still being able to claim a CJRS grant for their normal hours not worked. From 1 July, employers will also be able to agree any working arrangements with previously furloughed employees. The scheme will close to new entrants from 30 June, and from 1 July the scheme will only be available to employers that have previously used the scheme in respect of employees they have previously furloughed. From this point onwards, employers will only be able to furlough employees that they have furloughed for a full three-week period prior to 30 June. This means that the final date by which an employer can furlough an employee for the first time was 10 June, in order for the current three-week furlough period to be completed by 30 June.

Conditions of Employment: Pay

lord jones of cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer byLord Agnew of Oulton on 26 May (HL4404), what support they will offer those people who have not been furloughed but have taken a voluntary temporary reduction in pay; whether they expect those for have taken voluntary temporary pay reductions to have entered into written agreements with their employers; and if not, what evidence they will require before these people can access any support.

lord agnew of oulton: Workers whose earnings fall due to a reduction in their work hours may become eligible for support through the welfare system, including through Universal Credit (UC). Existing UC claimants will normally receive a higher award as a result of a fall in earnings. For employed claimants this will be updated automatically using information from the PAYE system. The Government has announced a significant package of temporary welfare measures to support those on low incomes through the COVID-19 outbreak, including increasing the UC standard allowance by £20 per week.

Ministerial Powers

lord jones of cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that both HMRC and the Treasury agree the wording of ministerial directions before they are issued to (1) avoid confusion, and (2) obviate the need to subsequent corrections.

lord agnew of oulton: The Treasury has recently issued a number of Directions under Section 76 of the Coronavirus Act 2020. These set out that HMRC are responsible for the payment and management of the amounts paid out under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) and the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS). These are distinct from Ministerial Directions, which are formal instructions from Ministers to proceed with a spending proposal where the Permanent Secretary has written to their Secretary of State expressing their concerns. In relation to the recent CJRS and SEISS Treasury Directions, as with all other aspects of tax policy, Treasury and HMRC officials work closely to deliver the priorities of Ministers.

Companies: Coronavirus

baroness jones of moulsecoomb: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to prioritise companies which support UK environmental and climate targets for financial support administered as part of COVID-19 support programmes.

lord agnew of oulton: The Coronavirus is the biggest threat this country has faced in decades. Alongside the focus on supporting the economy, the Government continues to take its environmental responsibilities very seriously. The Government’s support for business includes paying workers’ wages through the furlough scheme, deferring tax payments, over [£27] billion of government-backed loans and [£18.9] billion of corporate financing through the Bank of England. We will assess the impacts of potential interventions against their contribution to our environmental goals, including our climate change and air quality targets.

Developing Countries: Debts

baroness ritchie of downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with international counterparts about requiring private creditors to cancel or suspend repayments on debt owed by developing countries during the COVID-19 pandemic.

baroness bennett of manor castle: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they plan to take to ensure that commercial loans are covered in COVID-19-related debt-relief schemes for the 75 lowest-income nations.

lord agnew of oulton: Her Majesty’s Government is deeply concerned about the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on low-income developing countries. It is vital that all creditors work together to ensure that countries especially vulnerable to the pandemic are able to protect their citizens and economies. The Chancellor and his G20 counterparts called on commercial creditors to participate in the G20 Debt Service Suspension Initiative, which suspends payments due from the 77 poorest countries, on comparable terms to the official sector. Her Majesty’s Government is working closely with the Paris Club of official creditors and Institute of International Finance (IIF) to facilitate private sector participation. On 28 May, the IIF published a Terms of Reference to guide its members’ responses to DSSI-eligible requests for commercial forbearance.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Outward Bound Trust: Finance

baroness liddell of coatdyke: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to provide assistance to the Outward Bound Trust to ensure it is able to continue to provide (1) financial support to students who wish to attend school residential trips, and (2) tourism services in remote parts of the UK.

baroness barran: We recognise that COVID-19 has significantly impacted the tourism sector, including organisations providing outdoor educational trips. My Department has engaged with stakeholders throughout the crisis to monitor the impact on tourism services across the UK. We will continue to consult the sector to assess how we can most effectively support businesses, organisations and customers during the recovery period. We have announced unprecedented support for business and workers, including those in the tourism sector, to protect them against the current economic emergency. This includes employee support through the recently extended Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, plus various loan schemes which offer government backed and guaranteed loans. The Department for Education is currently advising that professional outdoor education and adventure holiday providers that would usually offer activities for schools and/or summer holiday activities to children should remain closed for the time being. This will be kept under review.

The Senior Deputy Speaker

House of Lords: Training

lord lucas: The Senior Deputy Speaker,  further totheWritten Answer byLord McFall of Alcluith on 27 May (HL4295),whether he will supply full details of the regular surveys and other measures proposed toevaluate the effectiveness of initiatives to tackle bullying, harassment and sexual misconduct.

lord mcfall of alcluith: The Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme, which constitutes a Parliament-wide regime for tackling bullying, harassment and sexual misconduct, was subject to a review after six months of operation, which has been published on the UK Parliament website, and a further review (the ’18-month review’) is planned for later this year, which is also expected to be published. This will be led by an independent reviewer, supported by an advisory panel, and will be an opportunity to assess the effectiveness of the Scheme, as well as to consider specific policy changes as directed by the 6-month review. The Codes of Conduct for Lords Members and Lords Members’ Staff now include the ICGS provisions on bullying, harassment and sexual misconduct, and these are kept under active review by the Conduct Committee.In addition to the work to review the effectiveness of the ICGS, additional formal mechanisms are in place or planned which will help to assess progress on improving the broader workplace culture in the House of Lords and specific progress on addressing the recommendations made by Naomi Ellenbogen QC in 2019 in her review of bullying and harassment in the House of Lords. These include the Steering Group for Change, composed of staff and peer representatives, tasked with monitoring progress of implementation of Naomi Ellenbogen QC ’s report on bullying and harassment in the House of Lords, and providing advice and support to the Management Board and House of Lords Commission on their response to the report. There will also be a 12-month review of progress in implementing the recommendations of that report.

Women and Equalities

Coronavirus: Ethnic Groups

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they intend to take to support BAME communities in response to the findings in their report Disparities in the risk and outcomes from COVID-19, published on 2 June.

baroness berridge: The Minister for Equalities is working with the Race Disparity Unit and the Department for Health and Social Care to carry forward work to identify and fill the gaps in PHE’s review; and work across government to take appropriate steps to mitigate disparities identified. The terms of reference for this work, which include quarterly updates to the Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on progress, were published on GOV.UK on 4 June. The timeframe will be announced in due course.